The Moment Furiosa Took Over The Mad Max Franchise

Summary Furiosa becomes the new star of the Mad Max franchise in the upcoming spinoff, centered on her backstory and journey.

Fury Road's narrative shift makes Furiosa the true protagonist, while Max plays a vital supporting role in her saga.

Max and Furiosa's intertwined survival in Fury Road solidifies her role as the central figure of the Mad Max series.

About three quarters of the way through Fury Road’s story, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's heroine overtook Max as the protagonist of the Mad Max franchise. Although the first three movies in the series centered on Max Rockatansky himself, 2024’s upcoming spinoff Furiosa: A Mad Max Story focuses on Fury Road’s heroine. Furiosa’s backstory will finally be revealed in Furiosa: A Mad Max Story, a prequel that flashes back to the character’s youth and explains how she ended up working for the amoral warlord Immortan Joe. Thanks to this spinoff, the Mad Max series is now centered on Furiosa despite its title.

While Mad Max’s franchise timeline is all over the place, it is clear that Furiosa is younger than the original antihero. She was a child after the off-screen apocalypse occurred, whereas Max had a wife and a young child before society completely collapsed. Furiosa’s cast of returning characters may include a cameo for Max according to hints from the movie’s director, George Miller, but the story is entirely hers. Max doesn’t play a major role in Furiosa: A Mad Max Story, but this comes as no surprise. Furiosa took over the franchise well before her solo movie.

Furiosa Became Mad Max's New Lead During Fury Road's The Green Place Scene

Furiosa’s Return Home Made Her Fury Road’s True Protagonist

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When Fury Road’s propulsive story begins, Max is the audience insertion persona. The movie starts with his voiceover, its first major set piece is his capture by (and foiled escape attempt from) the War Boys, and viewers are even privy to his PTSD-induced hallucinations. However, Furiosa shares the movie’s focus with Max as soon as she arrives on-screen and, about three quarters of the way through Fury Road, Furiosa becomes the Mad Max franchise’s new star. When Furiosa arrives to the Green Place of Many Mothers, Fury Road’s perspective changes and Max becomes a passenger in his own franchise.

Furiosa spends most of the movie trying to ferry Immortan Joe’s captives to the Green Place of her childhood, eventually explaining to Max that this idyllic place is a fertile oasis in the wasteland. When Furiosa arrives there, she is crestfallen to discover that she has already crossed the Green Place and didn’t know it since the intervening years turned the space into uninhabitable, polluted swampland. Furiosa learns that only seven of the Many Mothers survived, and she convinces the last of the Vuvalini to join her on a hopeless trek away from the Citadel across a salt flat.

Mad Max: Fury Road Makes Furiosa Directly Connected To Max

Mad Max And Furiosa Need Each Other To Survive Fury Road’s Story

Furiosa’s doomed quest is cut short when Max convinces her to return to the Citadel and defeat Fury Road’s villain, Immortan Joe. Although Max does convince Furiosa to change course, she is the movie’s protagonist at this stage. Max still plays a vital role as the movie’s deuteragonist, and the importance of his part is symbolized by Furiosa getting a life-saving transfusion of his blood in the finale. Max becomes part of Furiosa after she becomes the central figure of Fury Road, thus allowing Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to keep the spirit of the Mad Max franchise’s original hero alive.