Charlize Theron's appearance as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road left a number of fans wanting to see more of the character. Director George Miller was among those fans, having originally planned the film as part of a duology that would see Furiosa headlining her own film as well. The Furiosa solo film hasn't happened yet, but there's still talk about it as a possibility.

While fans wait for more Furiosa news, we've been treated to Theron's debut as Lorraine Broughton in director David Leitch's Atomic Blonde. This has led us to one conclusion: An Atomic Blonde sequel needs to happen for Theron before Furiosa gets off the ground.

Why does Atomic Blonde 2 need to come out before Furiosa? It all comes down to the characters that Theron plays in the two films.

Lorraine vs. Furiosa

standing in the canyon with black warpaint on her head

Imperator Furiosa was one of Charlize Theron's most powerful characters to date. Praised by many critics for both her intelligence under pressure and the way that she embraced her disability, Furiosa took on seemingly impossible odds in order to do what she felt was right. A Furiosa spinoff could either show how she came to be such a respected member of Immortan Joe's following or deal with the aftermath of Joe's defeat and likely show Furiosa fending off outside threats that seek to take over in Joe's absence. Regardless of the setup, fans would likely get to see Furiosa at her best as she took on whatever threats the wasteland could throw her way.

Atomic Blonde's Lorraine Broughton was another powerful character, caught up in a world where nothing (including Lorraine) is as it seems. On a mission for MI6 to uncover a mole and recover a piece of microfilm containing a list of the names of every field agent in the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Lorraine is smart, sneaky and snarky, but she's also quite lethal. Throughout the course of the film she stays one step ahead of everyone else involved in the search for the list, including both those who want to buy it and those who seek to recover it. Though the film wasn't perfect, it was definitely enjoyable enough to warrant a sequel showcasing the further adventures of Lorraine.

Franchise Potential

Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde

In both Mad Max: Fury Road and Atomic Blonde, the films ended with fans wanting to see more of Theron's characters. A Furiosa spinoff could easily earn itself a sequel, telling more stories from within the world of Mad Max without having to have Max himself as a character. Atomic Blonde could also make a name for itself, and part of its narrative taking place in the past gives it plenty of room to place other films within its universe. Both characters have the sort of power onscreen to lead not only a movie but a franchise; Lorraine was obviously the driving force behind Atomic Blonde, and Furiosa, who by all rights should be considered a secondary character, was the dominant force in Fury Road.

With films like John Wick amassing such a following, studios are looking for similar projects to build franchises around. Lionsgate recently purchased a La Femme Nikita-like action script called Ballerina to add to its offerings, and other studios are shopping around for projects that will also help them to cash in on the current craze for character-driven action fare. Warner Bros. could use Furiosa to branch out from the central Mad Max universe and create projects that didn't center around Max, and Focus could use Atomic Blonde as the starting point for a franchise based around MI6 and Lorraine's twisted world.

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Why Should Atomic Blonde Come First?

With an Atomic Blonde sequel, Charlize Theron would have a chance to establish a franchise-leading character. This is significant, as there are a number of projects in the works featuring action-oriented female leads but many are tied in to other franchises. For instance, Ballerina is moving closer to production but is likely to be a part of the John Wick universe. Even with Furiosa, it could potentially grow into its own but would still originate as a spinoff of the Mad Max franchise. Atomic Blonde doesn't have any other connections, however, so it would be free to build a franchise of its own from the ground up.

There's also the matter of which of the two characters fans would associate Charlize Theron with the most. If she became better known as Lorraine, it likely wouldn't hurt Furiosa too much; the character's already been established as part of a larger franchise, and the Mad Max connections would be enough of a draw to bring in some of the franchise's fans even if Max doesn't appear or only has a cameo. If she becomes better known as Furiosa, though, the Atomic Blonde franchise could suffer because some fans might not be interested in seeing "just another action movie" with Theron. It's similar to the success that Mark Hamill had as Luke Skywalker which was followed by years of struggling to get significant screen roles; he was too well known as one character, and studios didn't want to risk their productions being overshadowed by that fame.

Going with Atomic Blonde 2 before Furiosa would also help to establish the new franchise while the first film is still fresh on people's minds. Holding off too long will cause people to start forgetting why they loved the original, and eventually they'll start to wonder "Why are they making a sequel to this now?" You can already see this sort of thing with James Cameron's Avatar sequels, with many wondering if Cameron waited too long to get started on the follow-up. While we won't know until the next film is released, the significant delay may end up hurting the success of Avatar 2. Likewise, waiting too long and letting Theron move on with other projects could damage Atomic Blonde as a brand.

Will It Happen?

Cipher inside her plane in The Fate Of The Furious

Even without considering any of the above, it's still entirely possible that Atomic Blonde 2 will happen before a Furiosa spinoff. Part of the reason for this is that the Furiosa spinoff isn't a sure thing. While fans, Charlize Theron, and even George Miller would like to see it happen, the project has gone from sounding like a sure thing to sounding like something they'd love to do if it worked out. It's possible that Furiosa will never happen, and if it does it might still be several years out. This gives time for Atomic Blonde to strike while the iron's hot.

Of course, an Atomic Blonde sequel hasn't been announced yet, but given the generally positive response that fans and critics had to the film, it would be odd for the studio to pass up the opportunity. Part of it will depend on Theron's availability, of course, since she is now involved in multiple franchises and other projects. If it's just a matter of scheduling, however, it can likely be worked out. Now they just need to make sure that they pull a John Wick and craft a sequel that's every bit as enjoyable as the original film.

Next: Atomic Blonde Ending Explained

Atomic Blonde is in theaters now. Mad Max: Fury Road is now available on Blu-ray and digital.