George Miller confirms Charlize Theron will not return in Mad Max Furiosa prequel

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The director thinks de-aging has a long way to go

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The wheels are finally in motion for George Miller’s follow-up to his 2015 masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road. Titled Furiosa, the prequel will centre on Charlize Theron’s fan-favourite Imperator in her younger years. However, Miller has confirmed Theron herself will not be in the movie.

In an interview with the New York Times, the director revealed that he had considered using de-aging technology to keep the actress in the role, but thinks it’s not quite advanced enough yet. “Everyone is on the verge of solving it, particular Japanese video-game designers, but there’s still a pretty wide valley, I believe,” he told the publication. We’re guessing Miller is a fan of Death Stranding.

A solo movie for Furiosa has been a long-time coming, with a script written before Fury Road had even begun filming. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who played Splendid and got to read the first draft, told the New York Times: “It’s genius.” 

It’s clear that whoever steps into the role will have big shoes to fill. Earlier reports signalled that Anya Taylor-Joy (star of The VVitch, Split, and Emma) has already had a Skype audition with Miller. Other actors are rumoured to have done the same, but their names have not been made public.

Whoever dons Furiosa’s warpaint next, Miller will no doubt make the right choice, and we’d welcome another ride on the post-apocalyptic hellscape that is the Fury Road any day of the week.

Millicent Thomas
Millicent Thomas

Millicent Thomas was once a freelance games and film journalist, writing for publications including GamesRadar, Total Film, Space.com, GamesIndustry.biz, Wireframe, Little White Lies, Culturess, SciFiNow, and more. She is now in international PR and marketing for Ubisoft.