Mad Max: Furiosa Star Anya Taylor-Joy Breaks Silence on Role

Mad Max: Fury Road has grown to be beloved since it debuted in 2015, reinvigorating the post-apocalyptic franchise in a high-octane and emotional way. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the franchise is getting a new installment, with George Miller returning to write and direct a Fury Road prequel film surrounding Furiosa. The news came with the first confirmation of some of the film’s cast, including Anya Taylor-Joy as the younger version of Furiosa. Fans are definitely hyped to see Taylor-Joy take on the role that Charlize Theron popularized in Fury Road — and it sounds like she’s also excited by the challenge it will bring. While appearing on Josh Hororwitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Taylor-Joy broke her silence on landing the role, and spoke about how she’s excited to “match” the level of artistry being brought to the film.

“The first thing that went through my head when I found out I was going to do it was,’ I am so excited to work so hard,’ ” Taylor-Joy revealed. “The level of commitment that has been shown before me, I endeavor to match that, and that makes me really excited.”

Taylor-Joy confirmed that she has yet to meet Miller in person, but has been video chatting with the iconic director about the role. She also spoke about how she is going to be bringing a new take to the character, as opposed to trying to directly copy Theron’s take on the character.

“I fell in love with Furiosa, the way that Charlize presented her,” Taylor-Joy explained. “She did such an incredible job and it was so beautiful and I can’t even think about trying to step [into her shoes]. It has to be something different, because it just can’t be done.”

“I’ve already started dreaming about her. She’s coming in pretty strong,” Taylor-Joy added.

Taylor-Joy, whose filmography includes The New Mutants, The Witch, and the upcoming miniseries The Queen’s Gambit, will be joined in Furiosa by Thor: Love and Thunder’s Chris Hemsworth and Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Miller previously stated that he hopes to shoot the Furiosa prequel in 2021.

“So after we finish [Three Thousand Years of Longing], and hopefully everything settles down with the pandemic, we’ll see what the world allows us to do with Furiosa,” Miller said in a recent interview. “For the longest time, I thought we could just use CG de-aging on Charlize, but I don’t think we’re nearly there yet. Despite the valiant attempts on The Irishman, I think there’s still an uncanny valley. Everyone is on the verge of solving it, particular Japanese video-game designers, but there’s still a pretty wide valley, I believe.”

Are you excited to see Anya Taylor-Joy play Furiosa in the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road spinoff? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!