Fans of the Mad Max series were thrilled to learn that George Miller would be returning to that universe with an all-new spinoff film centered around Furiosa, the breakout character of Mad Max: Fury Road. This time around, Anya Taylor-Joy will play the heroine in a story about how she became that warrior.
Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have already joined the cast, but there is one key role still left to be cast: Immortan Joe. In Fury Road, Furiosa was one of Joe's trusted soldiers so it makes sense we will see a younger version of the character in Furiosa, and there are plenty of great actors who can take the role.
Michael Shannon
The Mad Max films largely cast Australian actors in the main roles, but Fury Road showed that Miller was willing to branch out to other countries. Though an American actor, Michael Shannon has the kind of intensity needed for a role like Immortan Joe.
Shannon has played plenty of villains in the past and always done a great job. He also doesn't seem to mind playing characters who are completely unlikeable. He could be a truly terrifying and unhinged version of the Mad Max villain.
Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen is another actor who is known for playing villains, even recently joining the Fantastic Beasts franchise as the new Grindelwald. He has a quality about his performances that makes him quite chilling and puts the viewer on edge.
However, Mikkelsen can also be quite captivating on-screen as well. He could display how someone like Immortan Joe became a ruler and got so many people to follow him. It can be a more subdued take on the character, complete with a dash of charisma.
Jason Clarke
Though he is mostly known for playing Americans, Jason Clarke is an Australian actor who excels at playing intimidating and creepy characters. He is also quite a big guy who would be able to effectively sell Immortan Joe as a deadly warlord.
Clarke's recent performance in The Devil All the Time as a traveling murderer is a great example of how he could pull off playing the creepy, sadistic villain.
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is another great Australian actor who could be a lot of fun as Immortan Joe. Bana has played a lot of heroic roles in the past, as seen in Ang Lee's Hulk and Steven Spielberg's Munich. However, he also has some notable villain roles in his filmography.
The one role that he really shines in is the crime film Chopper in which he plays an unhinged and violent career criminal. The sort of manic energy he shows in that performance is just what is needed in a Mad Max film.
Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis has had a fascinating career as an actor. While you'll recognize his face from his work in Black Panther and the upcoming The Batman, his most famous roles are motion-capture in films like Lord of the Rings and War for the Planet of the Apes.
For a role like Immortan Joe, Serkis would have the opportunity to perform as himself on screen and show off his compelling talent. He has a certain rough edge to him and his performance as Ulysses Klaue in the MCU is that perfect kind of madman villain.
Hugo Weaving
Yet another acclaimed Australian actor is Hugo Weaving, who is also an actor known for great villainous roles. Though he has a long and versatile career, his roles as Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger and Agent Smith in The Matrix are his most famous.
A mixture of these two villain roles could be perfect for Immortan Joe. Weaving can play those powerful villains who lead armies for his cause while also playing a chilling, threatening antagonist.
Sean Bean
Sean Bean has had a long and entertaining career thus far with roles in Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. It would be really great to see him get to play a villain — which he does so well — in a wild franchise like this one.
Bean is set to join the second season of Snowpiercer in which he'll play another powerful tyrant in a post-apocalyptic world. Immortan Joe could be a nice companion piece to that role.
Ben Mendelsohn
Another actor who seems to be getting all the villain roles these days is Ben Mendelsohn. The Australian actor has built an impressive career with high-profile projects including Rogue One, Robin Hood, and Ready Player One.
Mendelsohn has a great unhinged quality that would fit into this franchise quite well, but can also play the more stoic and threatening bad guys. His versatility would really make the role stand out among the crazy stunts.
Hugh Jackman
For nearly two decades, Hugh Jackman played Wolverine in the X-Men universe. He turned the role into a superhero icon and Jackman himself showed incredible range within it, from the noble hero to a berserk animal.
Now that Jackman's time as Wolverine is over, it's exciting to see him expand into new types of roles. It would be a thrill to see him take on a rare villain part as someone. Jackman has shown incredible range already so there's little doubt he could leave his mark on the Mad Max franchise.
Russell Crowe
Though he does not appear in as many high-profile projects as he once did, Russell Crowe remains a supremely talented actor. The Oscar-winning Australian has worked with many great filmmakers in his career and it could be really interesting to see what he and George Miller can make together.
Crowe brings incredible intensity to all of his roles. He has played both heroes and villains and would be completely convincing as a warlord like Immortan Joe.