Is Internet Babygirl Tom Hardy in ‘Furiosa’?

The Anya Taylor-Joy-fronted Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga won’t see the return of a fan-favorite character from 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road for much more than a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo—but here’s why that’s probably for the best.

Warner Bros. is currently gearing up for the release of its Mad Max prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which is set to hit theaters this month. As the title suggests, the film stars Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of Imperator Furiosa, who takes over the role from Charlize Theron. Chris Hemsworth also leads as the conniving Doctor Dementus, along with Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, and Lachy Hulme, among others.

According to the film’s official synopsis, the story picks up 45 years after the Collapse and sees a young Furiosa snatched from her family and everything she knows in the Green Palace of Many Mothers by Dementus and his biker horde. While traveling through the Wasteland, they’ll encounter the dangerous warlord Immortan Joe (Hulme), all while Furiosa continues to fight to return home.

Furiosa acts as the fifth entry in the Mad Max franchise, and will again be directed by George Miller. From the sounds of it, the action flick is pulling out all the stops, boasting a star-studded cast, a whopping $233 million production budget, impressive VFX, and a lengthy marketing campaign to boot. Warner Bros. is banking on the success of its 2015 predecessor, and based on the positive response to the first trailer as well as early viewings, Furiosa could very well be the biggest blockbuster of the summer.

Given the enduring legacy of the Mad Max franchise and Furiosa’s role in the 2015 film, many fans have wondered if “Mad Max” himself (a.k.a. Max Rockatansky) will appear in some capacity in the upcoming spinoff. Portrayed by Mel Gibson in the first three films, Tom Hardy took over as the title character in Mad Max: Fury Road opposite Theron, where they became reluctant allies to liberate “The Five Wives.”

Look, it’s effectively impossible to hate Tom Hardy. One quick scroll through Twitter will provide you with enough fan edits, shirtless pics, and cheeky interview segments for one lifetime—and for a good reason. The man is funny, talented, and insanely good-looking, okay? With this in mind, it’s no wonder that some internet users are crossing their fingers in hopes that Hardy will reprise his role for Furiosa. Sadly, however, it doesn’t seem likely. Well, for the most part, that is.

Is Tom Hardy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?

According to IMBd, Hardy will not be part of the main Furiosa cast, which … yeah, makes sense, given Tom Hardy would have to play a much younger version of his character, as Furiosa takes place far earlier on the Mad Max timeline. Unless a different actor was hired to play Max Rockatansky, it’s safe to say that we can rule out the possibility of Hardy teaming up with Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa.

However, a Max cameo in Furiosa isn’t out of the cards, and rather, seems to have been flat-out confirmed by Miller himself. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the director said he had “no choice” but to include a shot of Max and his trusty car, the Interceptor. He told the outlet, “And as we get towards the end of this movie, the chronology … basically, we had to see that Mad Max was lurking around somewhere because we do know what happened. The writers know what happened to Mad Max in that year before, and we have a whole story of that, which I would like to do sometime if I get the chance.”

But don’t get your hopes up, because Miller’s remarks seem to imply that this cameo will be more of a nod to Max’s lingering presence, rather than showing the character himself—unless a hypothetical post-credit scene teases the upcoming Fury Road sequel, Mad Max: The Wasteland, which Hardy is set to lead.

Based on teasers and early footage for Furiosa, Hardy and his character will have little to do with the story. After all, the prequel film focuses on Furiosa, and her plight to return home. The titular warrior is arguably the best part of the Mad Max franchise altogether, meaning it’s probably wise that Furiosa would choose to flesh out its title character and her relationship to Doctor Dementus, rather than being a shameless promo for Mad Max: The Wasteland.

In the end, an extensive Tom Hardy/Max cameo would probably distract viewers from the story with some ill-advised fan service. Plus, Nathan Jones, John Howard, and Angus Sampson are all reprising their roles for Furiosa as Rictus Erectus, the People Eater, and the Organic Mechanic, respectively, so how many more cameos do we need?

Although we don’t know much about Mad Max: The Wasteland, fear not: Tom Hardy will be returning to the beloved post-apocalyptic universe, and hopefully, soon. But in the meantime, Furiosa girlies and Anya Taylor-Joy stans, rise!

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives in theaters on May 24, 2024.