Charlize Theron has once again expressed her disappointment at being recast in the Mad Max prequel Furiosa, but still spoke positively about the George Miller film. As Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road from 2015, Theron gave an outstanding performance, but when the planned prequel finally got into production, too much time had pᴀssed for her to return.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Theron reflected on how challenging it was to accept Anya Taylor-Joy taking over the role that she originated, but stressed she thought Furiosa was a beautiful movie. These comments echo a 2020 interview Theron gave to THR, where she said she was “heartbroken” to be recast. Read Theron’s full comments below:

“There’s nothing around [the recasting] that, to me, felt malicious. It was something that just dragged out for too long, and I totally understand it. It still doesn’t make it feel any better,” Theron says. “I probably lived in [Furiosa’s] body the longest out of any of my characters, and it was challenging. It was really challenging. But I think [Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga] is absolutely beautiful.”

What Charlize Theron’s Furiosa Comments Mean

Charlize Theron Was Recast With Anya Taylor-Joy In Furiosa

After languishing for decades in development hell, the return of the Mad Max franchise with Fury Road in 2015 felt like an extraordinary cinematic event. While Miller was on top form and delivering some of his best work, the biggest surprise was Theron’s incredible characterization of Imperator Furiosa, a new original character who added feminist underpinnings to this action franchise.

Theron clearly put her all into playing Furiosa, and having come out of this troubled production with such an outstanding performance was an incredible feat. From Theron’s comments, it’s clear she would have been interested in reprising her role in a sequel, but the Furiosa prequel unfortunately ended up requiring a younger actress.

While Miller had considered using de-aging technology to allow Theron to return (via People), he ultimately went a different route and recast her. This was quite a blow to Theron, but she’s taken it with grace as she understands it wasn’t “malicious” and even had kind words to say about the prequel.

Our Take On Charlize Theron Being Recast In Furiosa

Recasting Theron Was A Difficult Choice

When it was first announced that Anya Taylor-Joy would be taking over this iconic role in Furiosa, it felt like a strange route for Miller to go. Theron’s performance was so compelling that it was difficult to imagine any other actress managing to recapture the power and gravitas of her emotionally charged performance.

It’s impossible not to wonder how a Theron-led Furiosa would have turned out and if this would have helped the film’s chances at the box office and avoided it bombing. However, Furiosa is also a movie of incredible artistic integrity, and a large part of its appeal was down to Taylor-Joy’s impressive performance.

While Theron has had plenty of great roles since Fury Road, such as her Oscar-nominated performance in Bombshell, joining the Fast & Furious franchise, or her upcoming role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, it would have been exciting to see her return as Furiosa. While this will remain one of Hollywood’s great what-ifs, it’s clear Theron holds no ill will.

Sources: THR, THR, People, Box Office Mojo