Summary

• Furiosa's challenging timeline will give depth to her character's backstory.
• George Miller must maintain focus on the expanded story to ensure a successful sequel.
• Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Furiosa will be crucial for the film's success.

Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, but the film faces challenges that Mad Max: Fury Road never did. George Miller's newest addition to the Mad Max franchise will premiere in theaters on May 24, 2024. After Mad Max: Fury Road's successful theatrical run, making 380.4 million US dollars, its sequel is set up to achieve massive success. In the same vein as his previous casting of Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, George Miller hired A-list actors to star in Furiosa. Many characters from Fury Road are returning in the sequel.

However, as with any successful franchise sequel, attempting a successful follow-up comes with challenges. Anya Taylor-Joy has signed on to play the feminist fighter Imperator Furiosa, a character Charlize Theron portrayed in Mad Max: Fury Road. Theron received mass acclaim for her role, with many agreeing she was the stand-out performance. Based on what is known about Furiosa so far, hopes are high that Miller and Taylor-Joy's vision for the film will overcome the new challenges that the sequel provokes.

Furiosa Will Need To Balance Its Timeline To Give The Character A Proper Backstory

George Miller will need to keep his expanded story focused

One of the main challenges Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will need to overcome is sticking to a tight timeline while retelling Furiosa's complicated life. Though Mad Max: Fury Road feels like a monumental story, the whole plot takes place over only three days. The short timeline allowed Miller to maintain a good pace in his film, and opened up the universe for exploration while keeping the movie’s intent specific. Its sequel will take on a different approach, covering a span of sixteen to eighteen years.

According to the new footage of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga that was revealed at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the film will focus more on Furiosa's childhood than it originally seemed. Early trailers alluded to flashbacks of Furiosa as a child, likely relating to her kidnapping and the death of her mother. However, with the newly revealed scenes, a question of pacing emerges. George Miller will have to ensure that enough screen time is given both to Anya Taylor-Joy and the younger Furiosa, portrayed by Alyla Browne.

Furiosa's Challenging Timeline Is A Great Sign For The Other Characters

Chris Hemsworth and Lachy Hulme will get their chance to shine

The exciting new scenes that premiered at CinemaCon also revealed that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will provide a much deeper look into the past of other characters. These characters will include Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Immortan Joe, played by Lachy Hulme. The possibility for these side characters to shine will allow action scenes and character motivations to hold more power. The released scenes from Furiosa's past focus on her as a child meeting Dementus while in captivity, where he later introduces her to Immortan Joe.

Learning about Furiosa's early relationship with Dementus will be a helpful key to unlocking their dynamic in later years. These scenes will provide a deeper context for Anya Taylor-Joy's portrayal of Furiosa. Additionally, while Mad Max: Fury Road did reveal that Immortan Joe's army killed Furiosa's mother before Furiosa was taken captive, the details remained unspecific. The newly released scenes hint at exposing the backstory between Immortan Joe and Furiosa. These new facts will make Immortan Joe's death in Fury Road more satisfying upon rewatch.

Why Anya Taylor-Joy Will Still Be The Key To Furiosa's Success

Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Furiosa in the sequel

Even if all else fails for the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's marketing campaign, their biggest asset remains their lead. An actor at the height of her success, Anya Taylor-Joy has starred in blockbusters like Dune: Part Two, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and The Menu. Though Charlize Theron showed depth and power in her portrayal, it is up to Taylor-Joy's take on the character to ensure she goes down in film history. George Miller seems to think she is up for the task, explaining Anya Taylor-Joy's Furiosa casting at CinemaCon. Read his comments below:

"There's something about her, it's almost difficult to put it in to words. There's something mystical about her, and yet there's an accessibility. I learned that she was somebody who is very, very disciplined, and she's very young. She was a ballet dancer, Charlize was a ballet dancer. I worked on Happy Feet with a lot of brilliant dancers, and I understand the physical discipline, as well as emotional discipline they have. So, all of that led to Anya being Furiosa."

No matter the focus of the movie's timeline, Taylor-Joy's performance will solidify the film's success. Her character needs to bridge the gap in Furiosa's life from her childhood, all the way up to the events of Mad Max: Fury Road. This era of her story is the most important and acts as the direct setup for Charlize Theron's version of the character. However, this part of Furiosa's story is difficult to approach. Anya Taylor-Joy's commitment will be the most essential part of the movie.

Though much was disclosed about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga at CinemaCon, much remains to be revealed. One thing is clear: the follow-up to Charlize Theron’s performance, and Mad Max: Fury Road as a whole, is not easy. George Miller’s approach to the sequel, with a much bigger timeline scope, allows room for both success and failure. However, having Anya Taylor-Joy on board, despite these challenges, is a sure sign that the film will make its best attempt at expanding Furiosa as a character.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will be in theaters May 24, 2024.