Details about the original design for Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road have been revealed. In 2015, director George Miller revisited his Mad Max films with a brand new take that traded Mel Gibson for Tom Hardy. If anyone was concerned about how this new installment in the post-apocalyptic franchise would fare, their fears were put to rest when Fury Road was met with incredible reviews (which later translated to Oscar nominations and wins) and a worldwide gross of over $370 million.
Widely considered one of the best action films of the past decade, Fury Road follows Hardy's Max Rockatansky as he races across a vast desert known as the Wasteland alongside Furiosa and five wives escaping their tyrannical husband Immortan Joe. It was widely praised not only for the performances, but for the incredible technical feats that went into making the film. Many of the stunts were done practically, which gave Fury Road a grounded feel that not many action blockbusters can claim. In fact, much of Fury Road's Oscar wins went to the behind the scenes elements like production design, sound editing, and costuming.
On the topic of costuming, Furiosa's look earned special praise because of how distinctly empowering it was. The character of Furiosa was widely seen as one of the best parts of Fury Road, with Theron stealing the show and spurring talks of a spin-off. However, she almost looked very different, as was revealed in an oral history of the making of Fury Road shared with the NYT. It's hard to imagine her looking any different, but apparently this is what almost happened:
THERON At first, Furiosa was this very ethereal character, with long hair and some African mud art on her face. It was a different costume designer back then, before Jenny Beavan, and the costume felt a little more Barbarella-y. I worried about it.
JENNY BEAVAN (costume designer) I am not into fashion, and I don’t particularly care what people look like — the clothes have to come out of the stories they tell. Since she travels long distances, Furiosa needed very practical clothing, and when I met with Charlize, that was one of the things we talked about. That, and what on earth would she do with her hair?
THERON George was really incredible in just hearing me out. I called him and said, “I don’t know how she’s getting by in the mechanics’ room with all this hair. I think we need to shave my head, and she needs to be a more androgynous, grounded character.” You know, he trusted me so much that it kind of makes me emotional. In that sense, I feel like I let him down.
Theron has been open about her desire to star in a Furiosa spin-off, and even Miller seems interested in the idea. Fans have been eagerly awaiting Mad Max 5, which hasn't gained much traction in recent years. However, recent reports suggested Miller had hoped to shoot the film next year, with New Mutants' Anya Taylor-Joy in talks to star. It was also rumored that Mad Max 5 could also turn into the Furiosa spin-off, but right now everything related to the franchise seems to be on hold.
Regardless of whether Mad Max 5 proves to be about Furiosa or not, it's hard to deny she was an excellent character in Fury Road. Her dynamic with Max proved to be the true emotional core of the film, especially when they worked their way to a genuine trust. It would be interesting to see that dynamic continue in Mad Max 5, and it would also be interesting to see Furiosa's further development in her own film. Wherever the Mad Max franchise goes, it's safe to say fans will be on board.
Source: NYT