charlize theron as Furiosa, looking at someone from the driver's seat.

Things We Saw Today: George Miller Reflects on the Future of Imperator Furiosa

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If you’re anything like visionary director George Miller, you’ve no doubt wondered what became of Imperator Furiosa after the events of Mad Max: Fury Road. The iconic character, brought to life by all-around BAMF Charlize Theron, still remains beloved by fans across the globe 5 years after the film premiered.

Yesterday, Miller participated in a Zoom interview with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast crossover with Metaverse, a new online pop culture convention. When asked what he thought happened to Furiosa after she liberated the Citadel, Miller was of two minds.

He said, “I’ve often thought about it. There are two ways to go, … One is utopian, which is not an interesting story, really. I’ve somehow imagined that the first thing she would do in line with that, is go up and release the water … it wasn’t withheld. … A New Deal, politically.”

Miller also mused on the works of Joseph Campbell, adding “Campbell said that the usual story is that today’s hero becomes tomorrow’s tyrant. The hero is the agent of change. They basically relinquish self-interest in order for some common good, … [Campbell] basically says … you love what you’ve built, or saved, too much. You become holdfast. You become the orthodoxy. You develop the dogma and basically then you have to protect it. That tends to be the rhythm of these things.”

So you either die a hero or live long enough to become Immortan Joe? Miller admits that he thinks Furiosa’s experience with Immortan Joe would be enough to ward her off a villainous path, “I think she’s too smart to fall into that trap. She’s already seen it with the Immortan Joe, … I believe he went through the same process. He was probably a heroic character in his own time.”

Miller has said that he wants to further explore Furiosa with an origin story, which will likely be with a different, younger actress. But many die-hard fans would rather see Theron return to iconic role.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.