Mad Max Video Game Is Canon to Furiosa

The Mad Max video game from 2015 may play a role in the upcoming Mad Max spin-off film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The Mad Max series is one of the most beloved action franchises out there starting as nothing more than a cult-classic film starring Mel Gibson and eventually scoring tons of Oscars with the release of Mad Max: Fury Road. Despite this, the Mad Max series has largely stayed exclusively under the watchful eye of creator George Miller and therefore there aren't many examples of what the series would look like under the direction of someone else. However, there is one notable example.

In 2015, shortly after the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, a video game simply titled Mad Max was released on all major platforms. It didn't sell super well due to the fact it went up against Metal Gear Solid V and didn't really get the huge marketing push it probably deserved post-Fury Road, but those who played it enjoyed it. It was brutal, scrappy, dark, and fun, allowing Max to get into brawls and have wild car battles out in the desert. The Mad Max we got was different from a Fury Road tie-in that was being developed many, many years before with George Miller and God of War (2018) director Cory Barlog. Avalanche's game was pretty vauge and didn't seem to cement itself in any particular continuity for the Mad Max films, instead opting to keep things general and stick to the lore and tone of the films. However, according to noted film critic Drew McWeeny, the script for Furiosa contains notes that make it clear that Mad Max the video game is canon to the new spin-off film. 

Craziest thing? The notes in the script that make it clear the MAD MAX video game is canon.

— DrewMcWeeny (@DrewMcWeeny) December 30, 2023

Of course, there's room for this to possibly change within the finished film. However, Gas Town, a location from the game, is mentioned in the trailer for Furiosa. A Reddit user claimed that some members of a Mad Max fan group noted that Warner Bros. gave Avalanche access to the Furiosa script when developing the game as it was written alongside Fury Road, but Miller hadn't consented to this. Of course, take that with a grain of salt, it's just a rumor, but it would make sense how this may have happened since Miller wasn't really involved with the development of Avalanche's game. The first trailer for Furiosa was released earlier this month and confirmed that the film will release in theaters on May 23rd, 2024.