Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa will not star in the next Mad Max sequel

Whether you were among those who think Mad Max: Fury Road was the action masterpiece of the year or the tiny minority in dissent of that fact, both groups can agree on one thing: Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa was the real star of the movie, not Tom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky. The badass warrior chick valiantly rode her way into movie valhalla, but according to Digital Spy‘s interview with franchise mastermind George Miller, the iconic Furiosa may wind up being a one-movie wonder, as she will (apparently) not play an integral role in the Mad Max sequel.

“I’m not sure, is the answer,” Miller said about the potential for Theron to return. “She’s not in the Mad Max [sequel] story, but in one of the stories there’s an interaction between [Max and Furiosa]. I can’t really say more than that because it’s still in progress.”

Of course, these are still early days on the Mad Max 5 and 6 front, although with Blu-ray/DVD sales going through the roof, it seems like only a matter of time before Hardy slaps on the leather jacket again to meet the challenges a post-apocalyptic landscape has to offer. Even the proposed title Miller previously revealed for the next movie, “Mad Max: The Wasteland,” is also apparently in flux.

“That name came out, that was just a working title,” he said. “Nico Lathouris and I wrote deep backstories on all the characters and they eventually became screenplays – so we have two [more movies]. I’m happy to say that there’s discussions about them right now, but I hope the next film I make is a very small without any special effects and not many stunts.”

Whatever the 70-year-old Miller does next, it’s good to know that one of the few working filmmakers who can truly be called a visionary is officially on the radar of a new generation of filmgoers thanks to the fuel-injected madness that was Mad Max: Fury Road. As Oscar season enters full swing, expect to hear more from Miller about the Mad Max sequel as Fury Road goes up for a slew of technical awards… and potentially one for Theron as well.

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