We've still got a long wait before Mad Max: Fury Road finally hits theaters, but a new magazine cover just gave us the clearest look yet at the film's main hero and villain. (UPDATED WITH MORE IMAGES!)

Mad Max creator George Miller reportedly came up with the idea for Fury Road, the fourth installment in his cult classic post-apocalyptic franchise, all the way back in 2000, 15 years after the release of the third installment, Beyond Thunderdome. After many delays -- it was originally meant to start production in the fall of 2011, but was pushed back due to weather issues, and when the shoot finally did take place in the Namibian desert, it stretched to seven months -- the film is scheduled to finally be released on May 15, 2015. So, it may have taken 30 years, but we're finally set for more Mad Max.

With 11 months to go until the film's release, concrete information about its plot and characters is still a little scarce, but this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly made the picture a little clearer. The cover features Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky and Charlize Theron as the film's villain, Imperator Furiosa, both decked out in full post-apocalyptic gear. Check it out:

Miller also offered up a brief tease of what we can expect as the film unfolds onscreen. According to EW, Fury Road "features few digital effects and even less dialogue," as Miller's mission was to tell the story of the characters through the action. As for what kind of action we can expect, Miller suggests that the flick is basically one long car chase that runs almost two hours.

“I wanted to tell a linear story–a chase that starts as the movie begins and continues for 110 minutes,” Miller said. “In this crucible of very intense action, the characters are revealed.”

The loving attention paid to the roar of the post-apocalyptic road is one of the hallmarks of the Mad Max franchise, so it's no surprise that Miller seems poised to take that to the next level here. Reactions to the early test screening last month also reflect this idea, and the idea that Miller's throwing everything at viewers this time out because this might be the last chance he gets to visit this world. If that's the case, we're in for one hell of a ride.

What do you think? Is Mad Max: Fury Road a must-see for you?

UPDATED: EW has just dropped more than half a dozen new images from the film featuring plenty of action and Road Warrior madness. Check them out in the gallery below.

(Via EW)