Yeah, we’re going to keep using this picture until we get an official one… A few months back, the trades were reporting that Tom Hardy, who in “Bronson,” gave perhaps our single favorite performance of 2009, was close to signing on to take over the role of Mad Max in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” George Miller’s return to the series he created. MTV sat down with the actor, who will next appear in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” and he set the record straight a bit.
Hardy is not officially signed, but it appears that he’s all but; when asked about the role, he tells them “George hasn’t actually confirmed that [but] it’s strongly coming in my direction. I would be preparing for that role.” It’s strange that it’s taken so long for this to be finalized – our guess would be that Miller is keener on the casting than the studio, who might want a bigger name?
Still, Hardy seems optimistic, and he seems to be going about it the right way – “The Mad Max figure is a big figure, and I have to get my head around that… I would have to pick up where Mel left off, but in all honesty, it would be ridiculous to pick up where Mel left off. He is Mad Max. I have to bring something entirely different and new to the stage.”
He’s clearly not fazed by the legacy of the character, and Miller seems to be happy to give him free reign with the character. There’s no confirmation on Charlize Theron’s presence, or of a possible plot, but we’re sure it’ll emerge in time. Assuming Hardy gets signed up, this is a franchise reboot we’re actually looking forward to.