If theMad Maxfranchise is going to continue withMad Max 5, then it needs to reverse the one big change that madeFury Roadsuch a resounding success. More than 30 years after the last movie,Mad Max: Fury Roadbrought the franchise back from the dead. It was a massive box office hit, it was praised by critics as one of the greatest action movies ever made, and it scored an unprecedented Oscar nomination for Best Picture.Fury Roadseemed to set up a bright future fortheMad Maxseries.
However, nearly a decade later, Max’s adventures on the big screen still haven’t continued. George Miller has craftedthe prequelFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, filling in the backstory of Charlize Theron’s fan-favorite Furiosa character, but Max himself hasn’t been seen sinceFury Road(apart from a brief cameo appearance inFuriosa). It’s about time Max came back to the silver screen for more rubber-burning post-apocalyptic exploits. If Miller is going to continue the series withMad Max 5, then it needs to undo the key change that madeFury Roadso great.
The People Eater’s Role In The Mad Max Movies Explained
The People Eater is one of Immortan Joe’s main allies in the Mad Max franchise. Here’s where he comes from and what his role is in Joe’s empire.
Max Was More Of A Side Character In Fury Road
Although his name is in the title, Max wasn’t really the main character inMad Max: Fury Road.Furiosa was the protagonist – the one with the active goal who drives the plot and gets the audience to root for them– as she liberated Immortan Joe’s wives and tried to get them away from Joe’s forces to a safe haven. Max just went along for the ride. He ended up aboard the War Rig with Furiosa and Joe’s liberated wives and reluctantly agreed to help them escape from Joe’s goons because he needed to escape from those very same goons.
Tom Hardy replaced Mel Gibson in the role of Max Rockatansky inMad Max: Fury Road.
Max was more of a side character inFury Road, and it worked spectacularly. It kept the franchise fresh by switching the focus to a new character and giving Max more of a backseat, both literally and figuratively.Furiosa proved to be a worthy successor to Max; she’s every bit the badass post-apocalyptic warrior he is, and she’s a much less passive character than he is, which helped the plot. Audiences could get on board with Furiosa’s mission to free Joe’s wives, and her blossoming partnership with Max was really endearing. Sidelining Max turned out to be a great decision.
Max Hasn’t Been The Star Of His Own Franchise Since The ’80s
After the success ofFury Road, Miller gave Furiosa even more of a spotlight in her self-titled prequel spin-off,Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.Furiosawas just as much of an exhilarating moviegoing experience asFury Road, and it was also a totally different movie, following a more episodic structure and digging deeper into the characters thanFury Road’s feature-length car chase storyline would allow.The ending ofFuriosaled into the beginning ofFury Roadbeautifully, which seemed to close the book on Furiosa’s story.
Now that Furiosa’s story has been told in its entirety, it’s time to refocus theMad Maxfranchise on Max himself. Furiosa was a great new protagonist, but this is Max’s story after all, and Max hasn’t been the star of his own franchise since the ‘80s.The lastMad Maxmovie to focus squarely on Max was 1985’sBeyond Thunderdome, which is generally considered to be a low point for the franchise. If Miller is following upFuriosawithMad Max 5, then he needs to actually center the story on Max for the first time in four decades.
I’m Not Ready To Say Goodbye To Mad Max After Furiosa’s Box Office Failure
Furiosa’s box office failure means there probably won’t be any more Mad Max films – and that’s a tragedy, because they’re a staple of action cinema.
Miller has been touting a fifth installment in theMad Maxseries, titledMad Max: The Wasteland, since the release ofFury Road. It seemed likely that Miller would move on toMad Max: The Wastelandonce he was done withFuriosa. But unfortunately,Furiosadisappointed at the box office, barely recouping its production budget and coming nowhere near its marketing budget.AfterFuriosa’s underperformance, it’s unlikely that Warner Bros. will take a chance on another big-budgetMad Maxfilm– and that’s a real shame, because this is one of the most iconic action movie franchises of all time.
When asked about his potentialMad Maxfuture,Tom Hardy cast doubt onMad Max 5, suggesting it’ll likely remain stuck in development hell for the foreseeable future. On theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast,Miller told Josh Horowitz thatMad Max 5would only get made ifFuriosais a box office success. SinceFuriosahas been unsuccessful at the box office,Mad Max 5probably isn’t happening.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Cast
Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic film set in a desolate desert landscape where society has collapsed. Released in 2015, the story follows two rebels, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, as they attempt to survive and bring balance to a world torn by chaos and strife.
