Mad Max: Furiosa is set to feature Thor star Chris Hemsworth as the Big Bad of the wasteland.
We've known about the Marvel star's involvement in the film since October 2020, but the nature of his role has largely been kept under lock and key.
However, more details about Hemsworth's role in the Fury Road prequel film have now been confirmed in Kyle Buchanan's book Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road, which is set to publish on March 17, 2022.
Related: Mad Max: Furiosa delays release by nearly a year
In the book, Fury Road producer PJ Voeten shared that director George Miller initially only saw Hemsworth "as a courtesy" before he "fell in love with the idea" of the star playing the part (via SlashFilm).
"He's going to play totally against type, the lead baddie," Voeten continued. "Unfortunately, we've got to find all of our other characters that aren't around anymore: a new Immortan [Joe], a new Bullet Farmer, and a few others."
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It won't be the first time that Hemsworth has diverted from heroism – he previously played cult leader Billy Lee in Bad Times at the El Royale – but the new Mad Max antagonist is a different prospect altogether.
Related: Charlize Theron responds to Furiosa recasting for Mad Max: Fury Road prequel
Back when he was first announced for the project, the Australian actor wrote to his social media followers: "Pretty damn fired up to be a part of a franchise that meant the world to me as a kid growing up in Australia. Mad Max was the pinnacle and a huge reason why I got into the business of telling stories.
"The fact that I'll have the [honour] of not only being directed by its original visionary in George Miller but also take part in Furiosa's origin story is incredibly exciting. Huge respect to George, Mel [Gibson], Charlize [Theron], Tom [Hardy] and all the cast and crew who helped build this epic world.
"I'll do my best to continue the tradition of cinematic badassery."
Mad Max: Furiosa comes to cinemas on May 24, 2024.Thor: Love and Thunder has a release date of July 8, 2022.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
