Summary
Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role ofFuriosain the 2024Mad Maxfranchise prequel movie, andit changes a key backstory element established by Charlize Theron years prior. Theron originally played the role in the iconicMad Max: Fury Road, which is commonly considered to be one of thebest action movies of all time, nine years before the prequel film expanded on her upbringing. Furiosa’s past was always a prevalent aspect of her character, but the recent spinoff allowed audiences to fully grasp the severity of what she’d experienced.
Much of Furiosa’s tragic backstory is consistent betweenFury Roadand the 2024 prequel. She was born in the “Green Place of Many Mothers,” was horrifically uprooted from this paradise-like society among the wasteland, and wound up being an Imperator in Immortan Joe’s army at the Citadel. These main bullet points are further enforced byFuriosa, but there are some aspects that were fleshed out outside the film that result in inconsistencies between the two.Fury Roadis commonly considered thebest of theMad Maxfranchise, and it’s interesting to see how the prequel deviates.
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Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa may not have been the most successful film at the box office, but it’s crucial her Mad Max character returns.
Furiosa’s Origin Story Omits Charlize Theron’s Previous Statement
The plot ofMad Max: Fury Roadsees Furiosa betraying Immortan Joe in the hopes of freeing his breeder wives and bringing them to the Green Place. This raises curiosity aboutwhy Furiosa herself isn’t a breeder, as it doesn’t seem likely that Joe would spare a woman to drive trucks for him if he didn’t have to. On the matter, Charlize Theron herself provided some clarification in an interview withEWin 2015.She explains that Furiosa “couldn’t breed, and that was all that she was good for.”
The prequel sees Anya Taylor-Joy’s iteration of the character finding her way in the Citadel, and the question of her fertility is never brought up.
This ties up the question simply: Furiosa isn’t a breeder because she can’t have children.While Charlize Theron’s words can’t be treated as canon, it seems like something she would have discussed with George Millerwhen crafting their character, yet it weirdly ends up having nothing to do withFuriosa. The prequel sees Anya Taylor-Joy’s iteration of the character finding her way in the Citadel, and the question of her fertility is never brought up. This could happen between movies, but it doesn’t really seem important afterFuriosa’sevents.
Charlize Theron’s Explanation For Furiosa Not Being A Breeder Doesn’t Line Up With Furiosa
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa Finds Her Own Way In The Citadel
InFuriosa, theprequel version of the character never comes close to becoming one of Immortan Joe’s breeders. In fact, she fears the possibility of this occurring and disguises herself as a man. This becomes a point of suspense throughout the film, as she doesn’t speak to anyone at the Citadel until she becomes close with Praetorian Jack. It’s crucial to her backstory in the movie, as through his training, she becomes a highly competent road warrior, and her skills eventually become invaluable to Immortan Joe in his war against Dementus.
So, it’s possible that at some point in between films, Immortan Joe fully realized Furiosa was a woman and that she might have another use, and that they could’ve come to the realization of her being infertile then. However, this just doesn’t seem as likely after the movie, andit seemed like Miller had second thoughts about that creative choice he’d discussed with Charlize Theron. InFuriosa, she earns her position as Imperator and Immortan Joe never seems to take any specific issue with her being a woman.
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Furiosa is part of the Mad Max franchise, but there are some other films you may like if you enjoyed the Anya Taylor-Joy spinoff.
The Prequel’s Version Of Furiosa’s Origin Story Makes More Sense Narratively
As for George Miller’s thoughts on the matter, he hasn’t spoken directly about Furiosa being a breeder, so it’s hard to say what precisely he had in mind. Considering some possibilities, it might just be that it fits better with the overall narrative the way the new movie portrays. If Furiosa arrived at the Citadel, was used as a breeder, and was discovered to be infertile, it doesn’t seem likely that they would just let her become a road warrior. Immortan Joe probably would have just killed her because he wouldn’t see her as having any value.
With the explanation given by the prequel, Furiosa pretends to be a man long enough to establish herself and make herself invaluable. After this, Immortan Joe would be sacrificing one of his best soldiers if he were to make her a breeder. Charlize Theron’s idea may have worked well for establishing the character inFury Road, but the changes inFuriosaare more plausible for the story Miller wanted to tell.
Sources:EW
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
