Mad Max: The Wasteland is a rumored sequel to Mad Max: Fury Road that George Miller announced back in 2015. Now nearly a decade later, fans are curious to know if the movie is still on the director’s radar. Additionally, they also want to know if Tom Hardy is returning to reprise the titular role.
Here are all the details regarding Hardy’s Mad Max return.
Is Tom Hardy returning for a Mad Max: Fury Road sequel?
Tom Hardy will not return as Max Rockatansky in the Mad Max: Fury Road sequel.
In a recent conversation with Forbes, Hardy revealed the possibility of The Wasteland happening. He said, “I don’t think that’s happening.”
The Mad Max franchise introduced Hardy in the 2015 movie, in which he starred opposite Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. Despite being considered one of the best action movies, Fury Road was deemed a flop. Nevertheless, Hardy continued to express his interest in working in the Mad Max sequel earlier.
In an interview with Collider in 2017, he mentioned looking forward to receiving a call from Miller. He said, “I’m anxiously waiting to find out…I’m really just waiting for the call like, ‘All right, let’s get the leathers on and get back out there and do some more.’ It’s there. I’m just waiting for it and looking forward to it.”
In the same interview, he also confirmed that he signed up for three Mad Max movies while being unsure about their release dates and titles. However, his recent disappointing update ruined the hopes of fans who had anticipated a sequel with Hardy for so long.
Why future Mad Max movies may not happen
According to Miller, Mad Max: The Wasteland will proceed depending on the audience’s response to the franchise’s most recent outing, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The movie was able to earn $160.6 million at the global box office on a budget of $168 million, per The Numbers. This means it clearly struggled at the box office despite getting positive reviews and a star-studded cast. Considering Furiosa’s upsetting box office performance, the Mad Max franchise seems unlikely to move forward.
Previously, The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Furiosa’s poor opening at the box office could serve as a hindrance in the upcoming Mad Max projects. While Nico Lathouris and Miller had scripts in store for Mad Max: The Wasteland, the hopes of it happening seem to have dwindled.
