If the Mad Max franchise manages to continue after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I know exactly what prequel George Miller should make next. Nine years after Mad Max: Fury Road proved there were still stories worth telling within The Wasteland, Furiosa became the latest chapter in the universe’s expansion. By telling the origin of Charlize Theron’s character with Anya Taylor-Joy taking over the role, the prequel did an amazing job of introducing new locations, characters, and pieces of Mad Max lore that could all factor into future installments of the franchise.
It is unclear whether more Mad Max movies will be made after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga‘s box office underperformed. The cost of financing George Miller’s extravagant productions in this franchise are not cheap, even if audiences and critics were generally very fond of what he delivered. I’m still hoping that Furiosa is not the end of the Mad Max franchise and that Miller will find ways to make more movies, whether they be sequels or more prequels. But after watching Furiosa, there’s one Mad Max prequel movie I want to see more than the rest.
Praetorian Jack Deserves A Prequel Movie Next After Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Tom Burke Played The Driver In Furiosa
Now that George Miller has gone back in the Mad Max timeline to do a prequel about Furiosa, he needs to do Praetorian Jack next. Furisoa: A Mad Max Saga introduced Tom Burke’s Praetorian Jack as Immortan Joe’s most trusted driver through the Wasteland. After befriending Furiosa and teaching her the ropes of driving through the post-apocalyptic Australian landscape, the seemingly romantic feelings that develop between them make him one of the best parts of the movie. That’s why I was so heartbroken when Praetorian Jack died in Furiosa in such an ambiguous way.
It is thanks to this story and Burke’s performance that I couldn’t help but feel like there was more to explore with Praetorian Jack afterward. He was a significant piece of the puzzle, brought a great screen presence, and was a terrific partner for Furiosa on the open road. But since Furiosa still very much positions her and Dementus as the main characters, there is not a ton of room to fully develop and explore Praetorian Jack’s story.
A Praetorian Jack prequel could be set close to Mel Gibson’s original Mad Max movies
That is why a Praetorian Jack Mad Max prequel movie could be so great. Miller could be tempted to do prequels about Immortan Joe or Dementus and dive further into the villainy of The Wasteland, but they have both had strong showings before. I would be so excited to learn more about Praetorian Jack’s past and see his experiences in this universe before the events of Furiosa. It would also potentially help Miller further bridge the gap between the original Mel Gibson movies and his more modern action films.
What A Praetorian Jack Mad Max Prequel Could Explore
His Backstory Has Been teased
Furiosa is rather light on details regarding Praetorian Jack’s backstory, leaving plenty of room for a prequel about his life to reveal more. All that is really known is that Jack knew Immortan Joe before The Fall and comes from a military background. These details provide a baseline for what a Praetorian Jack prequel could focus on. The movie could be Miller’s chance to go back to the time of the apocalypse and fall of humanity and tell that story through Jack’s eyes. He’d then be the vessel for watching Immortan Joe’s rise to power and how the world changed.
If George Miller doesn’t want to go back to Praetorian Jack’s origin for a prequel movie, he could still explore his life before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Burke’s character spent these years working for Immortan Joe and driving across The Wasteland. He surely encountered plenty of trouble throughout his drives, especially to become the legendary figure he is when Furiosa meets him. A prequel movie could show us exactly why Praetorian Jack was such a key part of Immortan Joe’s empire. I could even see him playing a part in Aunty Entity’s defeat and Bartertown’s destruction.
Praetorian Jack Can Help The Franchise Finally Replace Mad Max
There Are Major Parallels
It could also be in the Mad Max franchise’s best interest to explore Praetorian Jack more as a means to replace Max Rockatansky. Furiosa established clear parallels between Praetorian Jack and Mad Max ranging from their clothing, attitudes, and backstories. For a second, I thought that Jack could be lined up as a new character whose story could continue beyond Furiosa and allow the franchise to refocus itself around him and Furiosa after Mad Max: Fury Road. That’s impossible now that Burke’s character died, but the prequel setting provides an alternative solution.
Praetorian Jack could have countless adventures on the road before the events of Furiosa that the franchise can explore. None of these would have to include Mad Max either. With Furiosa’s story already connected to the franchise’s original lead, a Praetorian Jack prequel could be a mostly clean break. But since Jack and Max are similar in many ways, focusing on the new character would still allow the franchise to follow a protagonist who often resembles Mad Max. This could help the series retain key elements and characteristics without needing to include a Mad Max cameo like Furiosa‘s.
Replacing Mad Max is not something that every Mad Max fan will want, but Praetorian Jack could do as good of a job at it as anyone else. George Miller still has an interest in tackling more of Max’s story through prequels or sequels, but an argument could be made that those movies would struggle to expand his story in a meaningful way now. Since little is known about Praetorian Jack, it would be more exciting to see Miller flesh out a relatively blank canvas in him than rely on returning to Max’s life time and time again.
A Praetorian Jack Prequel Is Better Than Furiosa Or Mad Max’s Returns
There’s More To Explore With Jack
It might be odd to consider making a Mad Max movie that doesn’t include Max Rockatansky or Furiosa, but Praetorian Jack is better suited to be the franchise’s star at this point. We’ve already seen four movies with Max in a major role, and the character’s journey is at a good stopping point after Mad Max: Fury Road‘s ending. It would be a mistake for the franchise to have Max return for prequels focused on him, even though Miller had a script developed. With his uncertain future from a casting perspective, it’s better if Max moves to the side.
Furiosa’s return is also now a bit more challenging after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The only place to go next would be continuing her story after Fury Road, but that would mean bringing Charlize Theron back after nearly a decade or having Anya Taylor-Joy carry the role forward, which could feel strange. Furthermore, the performance of Furiosa at the box office could leave Hollywood with cold feet about making more movies with her at the center. I’ll admit that sentiment could extend across the entire Mad Max franchise at this point, but it’s not officially dead yet.
George Miller could make a movie built around Jack’s adventures in the vein of Mad Max: Fury Road
In some ways, a Praetorian Jack prequel carries the same risks as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. It’d be a prequel about a great new character from the previous installment that could need to recast the role by the time filming would begin. But I still believe that a Praetorian Jack prequel movie is the best option for Mad Max to continue forward. There would be smaller expectations and fewer story restrictions here. George Miller could make a movie built around Jack’s adventures in the vein of Mad Max: Fury Road that’s exactly what the franchise needs.
