Recasting Mad Max For The Wasteland: 10 Actors Who Could Replace Tom Hardy

Summary

  • Tom Hardy may be replaced as the lead for
    Mad Max: The Wasteland
    , opening the door for new potential stars.
  • Glen Powell has the charisma and on-screen presence needed to carry the role of Max Rockatansky.
  • Paul Mescal is one of the most talented rising actors at the moment, while John Boyega has far-reaching talents as an action star.

The next expected movie in George Miller’s epic dystopian saga is Mad Max: The Wasteland, and there is talk that Tom Hardy will be replaced as Max Rockatansky. The Mad Max franchise saw consistent success in the 1970s and 1980s, but no one was prepared for the phenomenon that the legacy sequel Mad Max: Fury Road would be. It is widely considered one of the best action movies of all time, with unrivaled chase sequences and subtly symbolic world-building. Hardy replaced original “Mad Max” actor Mel Gibson as the title character for the fourth installment in the franchise.

Despite Fury Road immediately establishing itself as the best Mad Max movie, plans for a Hardy-led sequel have been stalled for nearly a decade. Too much time has passed and doubt is spreading that Miller will be able to bring back Hardy; Miller has also expressed interest in making another prequel rather than a sequel, meaning a younger actor would need to be cast (if Max appears). Hardy not returning to Mad Max is disappointing, but hopefully, he will be replaced by someone who can give just as strong of a performance if The Wasteland moves forward without him.

Movie

Release date

Mad Max actor

Mad Max

1979

Mel Gibson

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

1981

Mel Gibson

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

1985

Mel Gibson

Mad Max: Fury Road

2015

Tom Hardy

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

2024

Jacob Tomuri (cameo only)

Mad Max: The Wasteland

TBC

TBC

Lachy Hulme and Immortan Joe Related 8 Mad Max Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spinoff After Furiosa

George Miller could direct spinoffs focusing on supporting characters Nux, the Splendid Angharad, and Praetorian Jack after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

10 Glen Powell

Known For Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Anyone But You (2023), & Hit Man (2023)

Close

Glen Powell is arguably the biggest rising action star at the moment, with the persona to match the stars of many classic action movies. Most upcoming action movies are probably at least considering him for a role. Powell was launched to widespread fame as the new Iceman-type character in Top Gun: Maverick, who is at odds with Maverick and Rooster; Hangman is cocky but a skilled pilot and knows it.

Powell’s most well-known roles all have some element of comedy, and the characters are generally more sociable than fans know Max Rockatansky to be. However, Powell has a great on-screen presence as an action star that balances out the charisma needed to carry such a role and an overall feeling of competence in (fictional) dangerous situations. Additionally, Powell has far too much general acting experience to assume that he cannot portray Max’s typically brooding character.

9 Regé-Jean Page

Known For Bridgerton (2020-Present) & Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Close

Regé-Jean Page proved with his breakout role in Bridgerton that he will be the main point of focus in any scene that he is in. He plays characters who seem like they know everything and adapt quickly. Page really should be cast in more roles that would allow him to further develop the character archetype he is familiar with outside the relatively safe and pleasing world of the ton. Immediately after Bridgerton season 1, he won a role in the mainstream action movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

If he can pull Simon’s jaded attitude and Xenk’s skill in combat together, Page could be a great Mad Max star.

However, Dungeons & Dragons is still a very comedic action movie when Page should be cast in something more serious. If he can pull Simon’s jaded attitude and Xenk’s skill in combat together, Page could be a great Mad Max star. By selecting certain traits from his past roles, it is easy to imagine Page behind the wheel in Miller’s next road warfare sequence.

8 Harry Richardson

Known For Dunkirk (2017), Poldark (2015-2019), & The Gilded Age (2022-Present)

Close

Harry Richardson might be best known for playing the polite and romantic son of the newly rich Russell family in The Gilded Age, but he has done his share of grittier projects. Richardson saw a major leap forward in his career with the small role of an unnamed private in Dunkirk. He might not have been the main character or really shown off what he can do as a dramatic actor, but he has had this experience of working on a big-budget action movie, one where the set might resemble that of Mad Max.

Since then, Richardson has starred in several other period dramas. His characters in Poldark and Doctor Thorne are also caught up in star-crossed romances but demonstrate his ability to play complex, thoughtful people. Richardson is not the most obvious choice for Mad Max, but could bring a strategic, contemplative nature to the character while making use of his long-off action experience.

7 Sean Teale

Known For Little Voice (2020) & Rosaline (2022)

Close

Sean Teale plays something like a Mad Max character in Rosaline: an apathetic adventurer (driving substituted with an interest in sailing) with a moral code that pulls him into the main storyline. Dario is a lot more positive than Max by virtue of being a character in a goofy Shakespearean spoof rom-com, but Teale could adjust his approach. He has experience playing characters in much more intense adventures from Incorporated and Reign.

Teale simply has an easy on-screen presence that would work well for Max. Assuming that his tragic backstory from the first movie is still in place, Max is an untethered character, who wonders from one adventure to the next, occasionally doling out vigilante justice. It might be a challenge for Teale to delve into the darker aspects of the character and the world, but could be to the benefit of the movie.

6 Jake Austin Walker

Known For National Treasure: Edge Of History (2022-2023)

Close

Jake Austin Walker also brings a carefree, everyman personality to his characters that is essentially the basis of Max. Max might have become a larger-than-life figure in the Wasteland since his inception, but still comes across as a regular, if extremely skilled, person who is just taking it one day at a time. Walker’s arc in National Treasure: Edge of History includes several similarities to what Max typically goes through in any given movie.

Walker’s National Treasure character Liam wants to focus on his music and his own life instead of getting caught up in his grandfather’s treasure-hunting habits. However, he is pulled into the adventure after finding some common ground with Jess. After this, Liam is practical and downplayed. Walker’s career has slowed down since National Treasure, but he gave a commendable performance, demonstrating his potential to excel in another project.

Immortal Joe and Max in Mad Mad Related All Battles In The Wasteland In Mad Max, Explained

The Mad Max franchise has a lot of lore, and here are the battles and wars that led to the apocalypse and the ones that occurred after.

5 Luke Arnold

Known For Black Sails (2014-2017)

Close

Luke Arnold’s four-season tenure with Black Sails proves that he is one of the strongest choices to play the new Mad Max. Arnold played John Silver, the double-crossing pirate who would go on to be the villain of Treasure Island. Black Sails is a gritty and violent show, and Silver is a character who can survive in its setting. When he is first (re)introduced, Silver is an apparently harmless captive from a raid, but soon shows his ability to spin tales and deceive his way to power.

Mad Max’s generally self-contained format means that Max would probably be a much less complicated character for Arnold after Silver.

The years that follow show Silver entangled in fraught power struggles and betrayals, becoming more ruthless as his alliance with Captain Flint deteriorates. Arnold has all the tools he needs to play a familiar version of Max, who is always walking the line between prioritizing his own survival and being forced by the narrative to help others. Quite frankly, Mad Max’s generally self-contained format means that Max would probably be a much less complicated character for Arnold after Silver.

4 Jensen Ackles

Known For Supernatural (2005-2020)

Close

Jensen Ackles is also a seasoned action star with an aptitude for comedic undertones that would be somewhat out of place in the Mad Max world. However, Ackles is certainly well-practiced in remaining completely straight-faced, no matter how ridiculous the situation. Dean Winchester often acts like the serious kind of hero Max is, despite being in a completely different story and setting in terms of tone.

Since The Winchesters failed, Ackles’ career has stagnated. He provided the voice of Batman for Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths and appeared in single episodes of Gen V and Tracker. However, Ackles is also a talented actor who could surprise audiences if given the chance to play someone other than the single character he is primarily known for. The Mad Max franchise has been known to make obscure casting choices — such as the relatively unknown Tom Burke as the Mad Max parallel character Praetorian Jack — and Miller might be willing to take a chance on someone like Ackles.

3 Paul Mescal

Known For Aftersun (2022), Foe (2023), & All Of Us Strangers (2023)

Close

Paul Mescal is another rising star whom casting directors are probably considering for almost anything. His Oscar-nominated performance in Aftersun brought attention to his talent, while his roles in Foe and All of Us Strangers showed some more genre variety. It has been well-established that he can portray the subtle dramatic nuances of Max’s character. Max does not talk about his past much; it is down to the actor playing him to convey how much is going on in his head.

The only thing left Mescal needs on his resume is some action experience. Luckily, he is slated as the star of the upcoming Gladiator 2. Many expect that the highly-anticipated sequel stacked with A-listers will illustrate Mescal’s ability to lead an epic action adventure story, filled with both psychological complexity and show-stopping battles. This movie will probably be all the evidence needed that Mescal can star in something as big as Mad Max.

2 Sam Reid

Known For Belle (2013) & Interview With The Vampire (2022-Present)

Close

Sam Reid had a long and varied career as an actor before landing the iconic role of the vampire Lestat in the TV reboot of Interview with the Vampire. This includes some interesting period pieces, such as Belle and Serena, the latter of which starred Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Reid has worked alongside an impressive list of stars like these, including Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, and David Thewlis in Anonymous, the dramatic period exploration into the possibility of Shakespeare being a fraud.

However, Interview with the Vampire is the property that only recently put Reid in the spotlight and showed the extent of his talent. Lestat is a character with much more flair than Max, but he showcases Reid’s charisma and dominance on-screen. After this monumental role, Miller and the rest of the Mad Max team can be sure that Reid can portray Max’s moral dilemmas and paramount desire to survive.

Emily Blunt from A Quiet Place, Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in Furiosa A Mad Max Saga and the villain from Turbo Kid Related 10 Post-Apocalyptic Action Movies To Watch After Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

With the release of George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, these 10 post-apocalyptic movies will quench the thirst for similar action.

1 John Boyega

Known For Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) & Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

Close

John Boyega shot to fame when he won the once-in-a-lifetime role as the star of the new Star Wars trilogy. Since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Boyega has had some roles in other action movies, including the new Pacific Rim and The Woman King. Boyega was a strong addition to the Star Wars universe and his performance remained consistent, but it was overshadowed by the problems with the sequel trilogy’s story. It robbed Boyega of the chance to really show Finn becoming a more complex character.

Boyega is a solid, well-rounded action star who has the potential to lead many different successful blockbusters. Him starring in Mad Max could finish what Star Wars started. Boyega has had the chance to portray a morally troubled character who just wants to survive, and some opportunities to show that character becoming more worldly. Playing Max would finally allow him to finish the character arc, portraying someone who is completely pessimistic about the world, but becomes its hero anyway.

Mad Max: The Wasteland

The fifth entry in the long-running franchise, Mad Max: The Wasteland, follows the titular road warrior in the wasteland, directed once again by George Millar. Tom Hardy reprises his role as Max and is still set in the new modern continuity of the series as of Fury Road.

Mad Max Fury Road Poster Mad Max: Fury Road RActionAdventureThrillerFantasy Where to Watch

*Availability in US

  • stream
  • rent
  • buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth film in George Miller’s long-running sci-fi franchise, with Tom Hardy starring as Max Rockstansky, a vagabond who lives on the road in an apocalyptic wasteland. When Max comes across a cult group that keeps its people in fear and under control with a monopoly on water and other crucial supplies, he joins up with Imperator Furiosa, a warrior woman leading a rebellion against the cult’s leader, Immortan Joe.

Director George Miller Release Date May 14, 2015 Cast Tom Hardy , Charlize Theron , Nicholas Hoult , Zoe Kravitz , Hugh Keays-Byrne , Riley Keough , Courtney Eaton , Abbey Lee , Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Runtime 120 Minutes Franchise(s) Mad Max Sequel(s) Mad Max: The Wasteland Expand

Leave a Comment