Mad Max: Chris Hemsworth Teases His Villainous Furiosa Character

Chris Hemsworth is no stranger to big action movies. The Australian actor has been playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011 and is now leading Netflix's hard-hitting Extraction film franchise. Even with all that experience, his next project is potentially the most intense of his career. He's starring opposite Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa, the prequel to George Miller's high octane award-winner, Mad Max: Fury Road.

2015's Fury Road had one of the most infamously difficult shoots in movie history, using as many practical effects as possible as post-apocalyptic cars chased one another through the desert. Hemsworth now joins the Mad Max world as the villain to Taylor-Joy's Furiosa (the character played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road). As excited as he was for the challenge, Hemsworth apparently had a tough time preparing to play a villainous character.

While speaking to EW ahead of Extraction 2's debut on Netflix this weekend, Hemsworth opened up just a little about his work on Furiosa. After years of playing the hero in almost everything, it took Hemsworth a while to figure out how he'd be the kind of bad guy the film called for.

"I wasn't sure what I was going to do," Hemsworth explained. "it was starting to get scary the closer I got to shooting. Then, all of a sudden, it clicked, and it was one of the best experiences I've had."

Hemsworth also praised George Miller's work on Furiosa, saying the film is "massive and otherworldly and everything you'd expect from the Mad Max world. [Miller] has managed to do something unexpected, which has blown me away."

Mad Max: Furiosa Cast

Anya Taylor-Joy plays the titular character in Furiosa, taking over the role that Charlize Theron originated in Mad Max: Fury Road. Hemsworth plays the film's villain. Tom Burke also stars, taking on a role that was initially supposed to be played by Yaya Abdul-Mateen II, who had to back out due to scheduling issues.

Earlier this year, Theron spoke to Entertainment Tonight and offered some strong support for Taylor-Joy taking over the beloved Furiosa character.

"I met her years ago and I haven't really been around her at a function or anything like that," she explained. "I think she's going to be totally okay. Without talking to me, she's going to be absolutely fine."

Max Mad: Furiosa Release Date

It has been a long journey for the Furiosa prequel movie, which has been in the works for some time. Fortunately, the wait is almost over, as the film hits theaters in less than a year.

Furiosa is currently slated to arrive on the big screen on May 24, 2024, almost a decade after the release of Fury Road.

Are you looking forward to seeing Furiosa next year? Let us know in the comments!