As is the story with countless others,Mad Max: Fury Roadgot me hooked on theMad Maxseries. For years,Mel Gibson played the lead role of Maxin director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic saga. Gibson originated the role of Max Rockatansky back in 1979, and reprised it in 1981’sMad Max 2(AKAThe Road Warrior) and then again in 1985’sMad Max Beyond Thunderdome. By the timeMad Max: Fury Roadrolled around in 2015, Gibson was already 69 years old and thus had aged out of playing the action lead.
While it was hard for many to imagine aMad Maxmoviewithout Mel Gibson,George Miller made an outstanding choice in casting Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky.Bringing his antagonist Bane-like energy to a protagonist role, Hardy is great inMad Max: Fury Road. I would love to see Hardy return to theMad Maxseries for any future iterations, and I’m sure his franchise return would be welcomed by many. That said, should Hardy not return to the franchise, I have a great idea of who the series should choose to play Max.
Hedlund Has Played Enigmatic Characters
If Tom Hardy doesn’t come back toMad Max,I would love to see Garrett Hedlund playing Max Rockatansky.Hedlund is seven years younger than Hardy, so he would bring a new and slightly more youthful flavor to the role. Hedlund has been acting for many years, making his debut in 2004 as Patroclus in the historical epicTroy. Hedlund’s key roles include playing the lead role inTron: Legacy, as well asroles inLawmen: Bass Reeves,Mudbound, andFour Brothers.
Garrett Hedlund has already shown the qualities needed to playMad Max’s lead hero.
In his career thus far, Garrett Hedlund has already shown the qualities needed to playMad Max’s lead hero. One of my personal favorite Hedlund parts is his supporting role in theCoen Brothers filmInside Llewyn Davis. Playing a beat poet named Johnny Five, Hedlund is alluring and mysterious in the role. Thisenigmatic quality would transfer well to the character of Max, who is at once intriguing and a tough nut to crack.
More recently, Garrett Hedlund has starred in shows such asTulsa KingandLawmen: Bass Reeves. These series see the actor play more Western-type roles that liken him more to a genre performance. This more Wild West-type beat could easily be transitioned to the Australian outback, making Hedlund a great choice to play Max.
Garrett Hedlund Already Proved Himself As A Leading Movie Star
Hedlund Has Been Leading Films For Over A Decade
Though I have a soft spot for Garrett Hedlund’sInside Llewyn Davisrole, I also recognize that the actor can be a leading man as well. He was relatively unknown whenhe played the part of Sam inTron: Legacyback in 2010, but did so believably, elevating the sci-fi sequel and holding his own opposite Jeff Bridges. More recently, Hedlund has played the lead in 2023’sDesperation RoadandThe Tutor.
Tom Hardy became known worldwide for playing Bane inThe Dark Knight Riseswhen he was cast inMad Max: Fury Road,but Garrett Hedlund is still far from being a household name. Still, Hedlund has already shown that he is fully capable of not only taking on, but flourishing in a lead role.Hedlund’s comfort with being a leading movie starmakes him well-suited to take on aMad Maxmovie as the next step in his already impressive career.
Casting Garrett Hedlund in the nextMad Maxfilm would mean parting with Tom Hardy.I, for one, would be sad to see Hardy go,as the actor is part of what madeMad Max: Fury Roadthe iconic film that it is. Miller could, of course, still cast Hardy in the part, rendering all of this imagining of Hedlund in the role moot. Even though I like Hedlund, I would not be unhappy with this outcome, as Hardy brought great energy to the series.
Mad Max: Fury RoadandFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagaare both available to stream on Max.
That said, I think part of the joy of theMad Maxfranchise is the sense of novelty each installment brings. Over the course of theMad Maxsaga, George Miller has always been more interested in crafting something new than making something with any kind of perfect continuity.Mad Max: Fury RoadandFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, for example, follow overlapping characters but in films with entirely different paces and tones.
As such, I believe that theMad Maxfranchise could benefit from breaking off from its Mel Gibson and Tom Hardy days. A Garrett Hedlund version would provide an interpretation of Max that is novel, fresh, and above all, just different. Making eachMad Maxfilm different is essential to the series, and is something that could be accomplished with Hedlund at the fore.
Mad Max
Mad Max is an Australian post-apocalyptic franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. The first three films star Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a former police officer who seeks revenge after his family is murdered. Tom Hardy took over the role for 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, which was followed by Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa.
