Summary
If theMad Maxfranchise manages to continue afterFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, I know exactly what prequel George Miller should make next. Nine years afterMad Max: Fury Roadproved there were still stories worth telling within The Wasteland,Furiosabecame the latest chapter in the universe’s expansion. By telling the origin of Charlize Theron’s character with Anya Taylor-Joy taking over the role, the prequel did an amazing job of introducing new locations, characters, and pieces ofMad Maxlorethat could all factor into future installments of the franchise.
It is unclear whethermoreMad Maxmovieswill be made afterFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga’s box office underperformed. The cost of financing George Miller’s extravagant productions in this franchise are not cheap, even if audiences and critics were generally very fond of what he delivered. I’m still hoping thatFuriosais not the end of theMad Maxfranchise and that Miller will find ways to make more movies, whether they be sequels or more prequels. But after watchingFuriosa, there’s oneMad Maxprequel movie I want to see more than the rest.
I’m Not Ready To Say Goodbye To Mad Max After Furiosa’s Box Office Failure
Furiosa’s box office failure means there probably won’t be any more Mad Max films – and that’s a tragedy, because they’re a staple of action cinema.
Tom Burke Played The Driver In Furiosa
Now that George Miller has gone back in theMad Maxtimelineto do a prequel about Furiosa, he needs to do Praetorian Jack next.Furisoa: A Mad Max Sagaintroduced Tom Burke’s Praetorian Jack as Immortan Joe’s most trusted driver through the Wasteland. After befriending Furiosa and teaching her the ropes of driving through the post-apocalyptic Australian landscape, the seemingly romantic feelings that develop between them make himone of the best parts of the movie. That’s why I was so heartbroken whenPraetorian Jack died inFuriosain such an ambiguous way.
It is thanks to this story and Burke’s performance thatI couldn’t help but feel like there was more to explore with Praetorian Jackafterward. He was a significant piece of the puzzle, brought a great screen presence, and was a terrific partner for Furiosa on the open road. But sinceFuriosastill very much positions her and Dementus as the main characters, there is not a ton of room to fully develop and explore Praetorian Jack’s story.
A Praetorian Jack prequel could be set close to Mel Gibson’s original Mad Max movies
That is why a Praetorian JackMad Maxprequel movie could be so great.Miller could be tempted to do prequels about Immortan Joe or Dementusand dive further into the villainy of The Wasteland, but they have both had strong showings before. I would be so excited to learn more about Praetorian Jack’s past and see his experiences in this universe before the events ofFuriosa. It would also potentially help Miller further bridge the gap between the original Mel Gibson movies and his more modern action films.
His Backstory Has Been teased
Furiosais rather light on details regarding Praetorian Jack’s backstory, leaving plenty of room for a prequel about his life to reveal more. All that is really known is thatJack knew Immortan Joe before The Falland comes from a military background. These details provide a baseline for what a Praetorian Jack prequel could focus on. The movie could be Miller’s chance to go back to the time of the apocalypse and fall of humanity and tell that story through Jack’s eyes. He’d then be the vessel for watching Immortan Joe’s rise to power and how the world changed.
If George Miller doesn’t want to go back to Praetorian Jack’s origin for a prequel movie, he could still explore his life beforeFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga. Burke’s characterspent these years working for Immortan Joe and driving across The Wasteland. He surely encountered plenty of trouble throughout his drives, especially to become the legendary figure he is when Furiosa meets him. A prequel movie could show us exactly why Praetorian Jack was such a key part of Immortan Joe’s empire. I could even see him playing a part inAunty Entity’s defeat and Bartertown’s destruction.
There Are Major Parallels
It could also be in theMad Maxfranchise’s best interest to explore Praetorian Jack more as a means to replace Max Rockatansky.Furiosaestablished clearparallels between Praetorian Jack and Mad Maxranging from their clothing, attitudes, and backstories. For a second,I thought that Jack could be lined up as a new character whose story could continuebeyondFuriosaand allow the franchise to refocus itself around him and Furiosa afterMad Max: Fury Road. That’s impossible now that Burke’s character died, but the prequel setting provides an alternative solution.
Praetorian Jack could have countless adventures on the road before the events ofFuriosathat the franchise can explore. None of these would have to include Mad Max either. With Furiosa’s story already connected to the franchise’s original lead, a Praetorian Jack prequel could be a mostly clean break. But sinceJack and Max are similar in many ways, focusing on the new character would still allow the franchise to follow a protagonist who often resembles Mad Max. This could help the series retain key elements and characteristics without needing to include aMad Max cameo likeFuriosa’s.
Replacing Mad Max is not something that everyMad Maxfan will want, but Praetorian Jack could do as good of a job at it as anyone else. George Miller still has an interest in tackling more of Max’s story through prequels or sequels, but an argument could be made that those movies would struggle to expand his story in a meaningful way now. Since little is known about Praetorian Jack, it would be more exciting to see Miller flesh out a relatively blank canvas in him than rely on returning to Max’s life time and time again.
There’s More To Explore With Jack
It might be odd to consider making aMad Maxmovie that doesn’t include Max Rockatansky or Furiosa, but Praetorian Jack is better suited to be the franchise’s star at this point. We’ve already seen four movies with Max in a major role, and the character’s journey is at a good stopping point afterMad Max: Fury Road’s ending.It would be a mistake for the franchise to have Max returnfor prequels focused on him, even though Miller had a script developed. With his uncertain future from a casting perspective, it’s better if Max moves to the side.
Furiosa’s return is also now a bit more challengingafterFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga. The only place to go next would be continuing her story afterFury Road, but that would mean bringing Charlize Theron back after nearly a decade or having Anya Taylor-Joy carry the role forward, which could feel strange. Furthermore, the performance ofFuriosaat the box office could leave Hollywood with cold feet about making more movies with her at the center. I’ll admit that sentiment could extend across the entireMad Maxfranchise at this point, but it’s not officially dead yet.
George Miller could make a movie built around Jack’s adventures in the vein ofMad Max: Fury Road
In some ways, a Praetorian Jack prequel carries the same risks asFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga. It’d be a prequel about a great new character from the previous installment that could need to recast the role by the time filming would begin. But I still believe that a Praetorian Jack prequel movie is the best option forMad Maxto continue forward. There would be smaller expectations and fewer story restrictions here. George Miller could make a movie built around Jack’s adventures in the vein ofMad Max: Fury Roadthat’s exactly what the franchise needs.
