Charlize Theron comments on being replaced as Furiosa in Mad Max universe

In the past decade, two different actresses have played the role of Furiosa in the Mad Max universe. Charlize Theron starred as the famed warrior in Mad Max: Fury Road, a modern classic that many hoped would see a grander exploration of the post-apocalyptic series, something that never became a reality for one reason or another. This is in part why the character was then recast for the Furiosa standalone film, which served as a prequel to Fury Road by seeing how Furiosa became a legend of the wasteland. In that 2024 flick, Anya Taylor-Joy took over as the titular heroine.

While Theron doesn't hold anything against Taylor-Joy for snatching up the Furiosa role, she is still a little raw about losing out on a character that she still regards as one of her most challenging. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Theron addressed being recast as Furiosa, explaining the following:

"There's nothing around [the recasting] that, to me, felt malicious. It was something that just dragged out for too long, and I totally understand it. It still doesn't make it feel any better. I probably lived in [Furiosa's] body the longest out of any of my characters, and it was challenging. It was really challenging. But I think [Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga] is absolutely beautiful."

It's unclear what the future holds for Mad Max and Furiosa, as director George Miller has previously said he has ideas for more adventures in the wasteland, but the combined middling box office performance for the expensive Furiosa and the fact that Miller doesn't exactly push out Mad Max films very often suggests we could be waiting for a while until another entry into the series. The question then switches to whether Taylor-Joy will suffer a similar fate to Theron and be recast as Furiosa...

Which version of Furiosa is your favourite?