Mad Max’s next movie may not confirm the best Fury Road theory unless Tom Hardy returns

Unless Tom Hardy returns to play Max Rokkatansky in a sequel to Mad Max: Fury RoadOne big theory about the Road Warrior cannot be confirmed. The Mad Max Franchise has captured viewers’ imaginations since it started in 1979s Mad Max. Back then, Mel Gibson played Max Rokatansky, and instead of the gore and brutality that the franchise is known for today, the world of Mad Max was much closer to the real world. The Mad Max The franchise has changed significantly since then, and there have been many theories that try to explain all of the franchise’s changes.

The most popular Mad Max Theories vary quite a bit in scope and likelihood. They range from theories about how the apocalypse happened to possible Sprog, Max’s child from the original film, could have survived his encounter with Toecutter and shown up later in the franchise. One theory in particular, however, is both very compelling, and extremely unlikely to ever be confirmed. If true, it would completely redefine Tom Hardy’s tenure as Max Roccatansky, but Mad Max Will not be able to use it.

The Mad Max: Fury Way Feral Child Theory Explained

Tom Hardy couldn’t have played Max Rokkatansky; He could have played the feral child grown up

for Mad Max: Fury RoadTom Hardy became the second lead actor to play Max Rokkatansky, replacing Mel Gibson in his iconic role. Besides looking significantly different from Gibson, Hardy’s version of Max has a few key differences. Hardy preferred to try cute grunts over coherent sentences, he had a very wild look in his eyes, and he often acted like an animal. fury wayHowever, did not address the switch in Max’s appearance or attitude at all, and some fans have come up with a theory that explains why Hardy’s version of the character looks and acts so differently than Gibson’s.

As the theory explains, Tom Hardy’s version of Max could be a completely different person than Mel Gibson’s. in Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorMax met a child who was aptly named the Feral Child (Emile Minty), a boy who grew up in the wasteland and himself as a wild animal. Some fans have drawn a connection between Max’s appearance, his wild nature in fury wayAnd the amount of time that has passed since the apocalypse began, and Hypothesized that Tom Hardy is actually playing an adult version of the Feral Kid, not Max Rokkatansky.

Besides Hardy’s appearance and his wilder take on Max, there is a surprising amount of​​ evidence to support the Feral Kid theory. For example, by the end of The Road WarriorMax gave the feral child a gift: a wind-up music box. in fury wayMax had a similar music box that was taken from him by the War Boys after he was captured. moreover, fury ways place in the Mad Max Timeline would coincide with the Feral Child about Max’s age. If Tom Hardy was playing the feral kid instead of Max, it would completely redefine it fury way.

Tom Hardy looks unlikely to return as Mad Max

Hardy doesn’t seem ready to play Max Rokkatansky again

Although Tom Hardy’s take on Max was almost universally praised, he may not return to the role ever again. Very clearly, Tom Hardy addressed the possibility of returning for a Mad Max Sequel by saying “I don’t think that happens.” Hardy had a notoriously difficult time filming fury way. He reportedly took a method acting approach to the role that was so intense that it scared the filmmakers, Hardy feuded with Charlize Theron on the set of fury wayAnd he said some problems with the methods of director George Miller. These issues may be enough to keep Hardy from playing Max again.

On top of Hardy’s reservations, there are several other reasons he may not play Max again. George Miller previously said while explaining why Mel Gibson didn’t play Max in fury wayThat he does not want to tell any story about an older youth of Max. Hardy is already 47 years old, and the next Mad Max The film is still a few years away. Hardy may simply be too old, and Miller may just want a younger actor to take his place. However, even if Hardy would likely return to the role of Max, a sequel may not happen at all.

The next entry in the Mad Max franchise, Mad Max: The Wastelandis far from a guarantee. The latest movie in the franchise, Furiosa: A Mad Max SagaDid not take as well as expected. Furiosas poor box office performance, coupled with the fact that Mad Max has never been a tremendously profitable franchise, may be enough to keep Miller from finding anyone willing to fund The Wasteland For fear of losing money. Without another Tom Hardy Mad Max Movie, however, the feral kid theory will never be proven.

Mad Max’s Next Movie May Not Reveal Tom Hardy Was Playing the Feral Kid If Max Is Recast

The opportunity to confirm the feral child theory may have passed

If Tom Hardy never gets another chance to play Max Rokkatansky, the Mad Max Franchise will never get a chance to reveal that he was the feral kid all along. If Max is recast for Mad Max: The WastelandThe sequel will probably gloss over Max’s change in appearance, just like in fury road. Even if it isn’t, the opportunity to confirm the Feral Kid theory will have passed. It would be very strange for The Wasteland To essentially stop and explain who the lead actor of the last film was, and it doesn’t seem likely to happen anymore.

Mad Max can’t confirm Fury Road’s feral child theory is a blessing in disguise

Mad Max is better than a folk tale with no strict continuity

Although if the Feral Kid theory is confirmed it would be cool, it’s almost certainly for the best Mad Max Can’t double down on it. George Miller looks the whole Mad Max Franchise as a type of legend or folk tale, rather than an account of a real person’s life (via National Film and Sound Archive of Australia). That’s why he never worried about murders between movies, and why he never had a problem introducing accounts and changes. The biggest advantage of the Feral Kid theory was that it helped explain a continuity issue, but there is no such thing as a continuity error in folklore.

Not only George Miller, the mastermind and creator of Mad MaxDon’t see a need for the feral kid theory, but his alternative is much more interesting. Seeing Max as a folk hero gives him an almost mythic status and adds a tremendous amount of texture to the people and world. In a way, the folk hero idea makes everyone Mad Max Film a window into what matters to people in the post-apocalypse. Max is their hero, and their stories about him reveal what they consider good qualities: bravery, strength and the – often reluctant – desire to do good.

As an added bonus, viewing the Mad Max Franchise as a series of legends helps explain continuity errors even better than the feral kid theory. If Max was a real person, all of his adventures would be extremely unlikely; A man can only cheat death so many times. If he were a folk hero, however, all of Max’s close-calls and amazing feats could simply be chalked up to embellishment for the sake of a good story.. It would also explain how he got so far across the wasteland, and how he managed to fight for almost 40 years, both before and after the apocalypse.

Although Max is a legend has a litany of benefits on its own, it also avoids a major problem with the feral kid theory. at the end of Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorThe Pearl Kid revealed that he grew up and became the leader of the former oil refinery residents. If Tom Hardy was playing the feral kid in fury wayIt would have directly contradicted itself The Road Warrior. Therefore, the Feral Kid theory would have created more continuity issues than it solves. While Mad Max: Fury RoadThe feral child theory is interesting, seeing Max as a folk hero is better.

Source: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia