When Mad Max: Furiosa debuts in 2024, the titular Imperator will be played by Anya Taylor-Joy instead of Charlize Theron. Theron iconically portrayed Furiosa in 2015’s Fury Road. But with Furiosa exploring the character’s origins, director George Miller opted to recast with an actress closer in age to the younger version.

Why Isn’t Charlize Theron Returning As Furiosa In The Mad Max Prequel?

Charlize Theron in Mad Max

Charlize Theron holds no hard feelings, praising her successor Anya Taylor-Joy. In her recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Theron declared:

“I can’t think of a better actress” to pick up where Charlize left off with Furiosa’s post-apocalyptic story.

Serving as an origin tale, Furiosa will reveal how the warrior was kidnapped from the matriarchal Green Place as a child. Swept into the biker gang run by Chris Hemsworth‘s tyrannical Warlord Dementus, young Furiosa struggles to survive while seeking a way back home.

The premise allows Miller to flesh out details only hinted at in Fury Road, like the loss of Furiosa’s arm. He shared extensive backstories written for all characters, including the Blind Doof Warrior’s shocking guitarist origin.

Does Charlize Theron Approve Anya Taylor-Joy As Her Successor?

Charlize Theron in Mad Max

Though the two actresses haven’t met, Theron holds faith that Taylor-Joy will shine without her input.

“Without talking to me, she’s going to be absolutely fine,” Theron said.

Given that Furiosa is only a young teen when the prequel begins, the 28-year-old Taylor-Joy fits the bill age-wise over 46-year-old Theron to play this part of the timeline. Taylor-Joy’s rising action star resume in films like The Northman proves she has the grit and intensity to potentially match Theron’s warrior.

Charlize Theron in Mad Max

Beyond next year’s Furiosa, director George Miller has indicated that even more stories remain to be told across the post-apocalyptic landscape. He and co-writer Nico Lathouris have already mapped out a script exploring where Max was during the year before Fury Road.

Whether that project moves forward likely depends on the fan appetite after experiencing young Furiosa’s story. But Miller clearly has plenty more ideas in development, aiming to further flesh out how this stark wasteland society came to be.