Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga implies that Anya Taylor-Joy’s тιтular warrior ripped her own arm off, but a fan theory suggests she had help from an unexpected source. Furiosa is the first spinoff of the long-running Mad Max movie franchise, having been greenlit in the aftermath of Fury Road’s success.

However, the prequel took so long to come together that Charlize Theron was recast as Furiosa, with Anya Taylor-Joy inheriting the mantle. Despite great reviews, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was a box-office failure, barely earning its production budget back with its $174.3 million gross.

The spinoff didn’t reach the same acclaim as Fury Road, but it’s a movie destined to age very well. One thing fans knew about Furiosa was that it would answer key questions about her backstory, including how she lost her arm. Fury Road didn’t even hint at this, but the prequel makes Furiosa losing her arm a key plot point.

A Fan Theory Suggests Mr Harley Cut Furiosa’s Arm Off

The moment itself involves Furiosa and love interest Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) being captured by Dementus’ (Chris Hemsworth) forces. In revenge for the duo messing up his latest scheme, Dementus has a wounded Furiosa chained by her injured arm as he forces her to watch Jack being dragged to death.

When Dementus later checks on Furiosa, all he finds is her severed limb still attached to the chain. Now, this implies Furiosa ripped her own arm off, but a fan theory suggests that Mr Harley (Ian Roberts), one of Dementus’ henchmen, cut her arm off to help her escape.

Looking at this Furious: A Mad Max Saga scene itself, there’s a generous amount of evidence to support this read. For one, Mr Harley is noticeably tender while handling the wounded Furiosa, even allowing her a moment to hug Jack despite Dementus’ ranting about how there’s no hope for them.

When Harley is instructed to hang Furiosa from her wounded arm, he refuses, with Dementus yelling about how Harley has “lost his touch.” Another member of the group chains up Furiosa instead. When Dementus finally returns to check on her, there is a sH๏τ of Harley sheathing his machete (complete with sound effect), suggesting he had recently used it.

It appears Harley was meant to stand guard on Furiosa, so it’s odd that he not only missed her ripping her arm off, but how she also sabotaged Dementus’ vehicle so he couldn’t pursue her. It would actually make more sense if Harley helped Furiosa escape under the cover of the dust cloud being whipped up by Dementus’ biker horde.

All The Evidence Pointing To Mr Harley Being A Secret Furiosa Ally

Some fans of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga might question the logic of Harley being a secret hero, considering he only one line and is largely a background player. Outside of potentially helping her escape certain death, other scenes point to his good side.

During “Chapter 1: The Pole of Inaccessibility,” Harley fails to fire on Furiosa and her mother as they flee on a motorbike, with another of Dementus’ goons pulling the rifle out of his arms instead. Later, when Dementus trades a young Furiosa to Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), Harley looks disturbed and upset, though he doesn’t protest.

After being captured by Immortan Joe in the aftermath of the Forty-Day Wasteland War, Harley looks happy when Furiosa steals a vehicle and chases after Dementus, who is fleeing into the Wasteland. Given the level of detail director George Miller lavishes on his Mad Max films, Harley’s actions don’t feel like a coincidence.

George Miller Has Never Commented On Mr Harley

Miller spent close to 20 years working on Mad Max: Fury Road, developing the story and generating concept art. That process was so involved that Miller created two more stories from it: Furiosa (which almost became an anime prequel) and a fifth Mad Max film dubbed The Wasteland.

Both Fury Road and Furiosa are layered with detail and subtext, from the background players having fully developed arcs to the history of the props they use. While Miller has never commented on Mr Harley’s actions within the story, his eye for detail makes it likely he intended to plant those seeds.

Out of Dementus’ crew, Harley seems to be the only decent human being among them, and his pattern of kindness toward Furiosa is noticeable for those paying attention. That said, it’s subtle stuff, and it’s possible to watch the 2024 prequel half a dozen times and never pick up on Harley’s actions.

There’s more than one occasion where he looks sickened by Dementus’ speeches or acts of violence, and he clearly disagrees with the treatment of Furiosa and Jack after they’re captured. While it’s not shown on camera, perhaps Mr Harley formed a bond with a young Furiosa and wants to do what he can to keep her safe.

Or, this could all just be a theory that cherry-picks certain reaction sH๏τs and imposes a narrative on them. That’s entirely possible, but going back to Miller and the way he constructed Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, if audiences are picking up on a certain vibe from Mr Harley, it was probably intended to be there.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes