Why does Max Rockatansky walk away at the end of Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). Max plays a major role in overthrowing The Citadel leader Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and could theoretically live like a King, if he so pleased. Instead, Max quickly sets off a new journey, leaving some viewers to question his decision.
In Mad Mad: Fury Road, Hardy's reluctantly teams up with Imperator Furiosa's crew. Far beyond the mountains from The Citadel, Max tells Furiosa "Hope IS a mistake," the result of her discovering the sad truth about her decimated homeland. Skeptical as Max may be, reminders of personal failures make him stick with Furiosa. Max helps his new comrades defeat Immortan Joe, liberating The Citadel. However, rather than staying, Max hits the road once again - a decision many viewers have wondered about, since it clearly has significance.
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Why Max Doesn't Stay At The Citadel At The End Of Fury Road
Max Leaving Was Significant On Two Levels
There are two key reasons Max walks away from the citadel at the end of Mad Max: Fury Road. One is thematic, and the other reason he doesn't remain at the citadel is to service potential future stories. At the end of Mad Mad: Fury Road, director George Miller reinforces the central themes of the movie by having Max leave the Citdael rather than staying.
Hope has been restored for the locals, and both Max and Furiosa have been redeemed through their heroic actions. Even Max feels a sense of purpose after using his blood to save Furiosa. Still, Max can't escape his past, which is both a curse and a remedy, and so he leaves. Hardy's character needs to roam this world alone, as he doesn't know any other way to survive.
Since the 2015 film is essentially a new Mad Max tale featuring a new lead, it makes sense for Hardy to drift away and thus set up the next film.
For storytelling purposes, Tom Hardy's Max walks away because it continues the legend of the character. Miller originally intended to have a redemption story for Max, at least if Mel Gibson had agreed to reprise his role. After the events of the first three films, Mad Mad: Fury Road was structurally designed to begin with chaos and end with the protagonist finding himself. But since the 2015 film is essentially a new Mad Max tale featuring a new lead, it makes sense for Hardy to drift away and thus set up the next film. Narratively speaking, Max not finding a resolution fits with the trauma of his past and the fact that he will never find happiness because of it.
Mad Mad: Fury Road also includes a telling scene near the end that implies Max hasn't actually lost his mind; a concept that Hardy's character talks about during the opening minutes. After saving Furiosa, Max re that he previously refused to state his name (perhaps because he couldn't actually it), but then calmly says "My name is Max... that's my name." The moment plays out like a kind gesture - a "thank you" - but it's really a personal epiphany for the character as he embraces his identity, even briefly. Tragically, Max knows that Furiosa will have peace once she recovers, but he also knows that he's destined to roam the Wasteland like a Man with No Name because of his past.
What George Miller Said About The Fury Road Ending
The Story Was Never About Max
The ending of Mad Max: Fury Road was refreshingly and surprisingly deep, considering the post-apocalyptic action movie was marketed largely as a high-octane spectacle-filled viewing experience, with little hint given it would contain many thematic layers. Part of the reason the 2015 revitalization of the Mad Max franchise was so successful, however, was due to the story having a core message and emotional complexity to match the jaw-dropping visuals. While the ending of Fury Road may have left some viewers with questions, director George Miller has been clear about his intentions and the core message he wanted to convey during the final moments.
During a 2020 interview (via Slashfilm), Miller reflected on the ending of Mad Max: Fury Road. He explained that the thematicly important element wasn't Max leaving The Citadel, but Furiosa staying. The Fury Road director revealed that, for him, the ending of Fury Road was the beginning of a new chapter both for Furiosa and The Citadel itself, and that the core theme is one of uncertainty and the cyclical nature of heroes becoming the villains of somebody else's story sooner or later:
"Part of me would love if she [Furiosa] pushed the world to a more equitable world. I'm not saying to a utopia because the world has already been destroyed. The Green Place was more utopian. The place she aspired to was more utopian. But back in the Citadel, she could also turn the other way ... I think she's too smart to fall into that trap. She's already seen it with the Immortan Joe. I believe he went through the same process. He was probably a heroic character in his own time."
He then went on to add:
"[Joseph] Campbell said that the usual story is that today's hero becomes tomorrow's tyrant. The hero is the agent of change, and basically, they relinquish self-interest in order — for some common good ... So what happens is you love what you built or saved too much, and you become holdfast. You become the orthodoxy. You develop the dogma, and then basically, you have to protect it."
So, while Max leaving The Citadel at the end of Mad Max: Fury Road has thematic importance for his character, it's not the most important moment when it comes to the wider story, at least as far as director George Miller sees things. The thematic significance of Furiosa becoming the new ruler of The Citadel was also enforced, of course, by the release of the Furiosa prequel in 2024.
The Real Meaning Of The Fury Road Ending
The Climax Of The 2015 Mad Max Movie Is A Tale Of Liberation
While there's a lot of thematic nuance to many aspects of the Mad Max: Fury Road ending when it comes to elements like Max leaving The Citadel and Furiosa facing difficult choices in her future as leader, there's also a simpler meaning too. The end of Fury Road is ultimately a tale of liberation. Working together, Max and Furiosa free the people of The Citadel from the tyrannical rule of Immortan Joe.
Hope will always exist despite how hopeless the iron-fisted rule of figures like Immortan Joe make the world seem.
They liberate the thirsty occupants from the unhinged doctrine of Joe and his dogmatic view that addiction to water will be the undoing of those he rules over. In a juxtaposition to the complex themes of the character arcs of Furiosa and Max, the story itself has a relatively straightforward message. Immortan Joe represents the same kind of orthodoxy and self-serving mentality that lead the world to become the apocalyptic wasteland in which The Citadel exists. Through defeating Joe, Max and Furiosa proved that Max was wrong, and that hope will always exist despite how hopeless the iron-fisted rule of figures like Immortan Joe make the world seem.
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How The Fury Road Ending Was Received
The Climax Was A Key Part Of A Celebrated Story
Mad Max: Fury Road was a beyond successful return for the Mad Max franchise, as evidenced by its 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The ending itself, however, wasn't often singled out in the praise - though this isn't because it was sub-par or in anyway seen as a negative element of the movie. Much of the positive response to Fury Road was from the performances of the cast and the jaw-dropping visuals and action sequences.
However, there were also multiple nods to the narrative too. While the ending wasn't often mentioned specifically, it of course factors into the positive response critics and viewers alike had to the plot. Many remarked how refreshing and unexpected the thematic depth of the story of Fury Road ended up being, and the ending was a key component of this. Had the ending of Mad Max: Fury Road been weaker, it's more than likely the 2015 movie wouldn't have been received anywhere nearly as positively.
What The Ending Means For The Mad Max Franchise
Max Vanishing Into The Crowd Leaves Room For A Sequel
The ending of Mad Max: Fury Road wasn't only strong from a thematic standpoint, but from a narrative standpoint too. The final moment of Max vanishing into the jubilant crowd in The Citadel leaves the story open for multiple sequels, ones that can continue Max's story as a lone wanderer of the apocalyptic wasteland without having to decouple his character from the story of Furiosa (who returned in the 2024 prequel).
While there's been little concrete development on a Fury Road follow-up, this is mostly due to Miller's efforts being concentrated on Furiosa. However, there have always been plans for Tom Hardy to return for a Fury Road sequel, which has been discussed with the working title of Mad Max: The Wasteland. Speaking in October 2024, Tom Hardy reiterated that he was still keen to return to the franchise. He also revealed that a story for a Mad Max: Fury Road sequel has already been planned out:
"George already has a script called the Wasteland, which is like quite specific so I'm aware of that. It depends on whether they're making it."
The way that Mad Max: Fury Road ended was undoubtedly central to setting up the future of the franchise. However, until a new Mad Max movie arrives, exactly which aspects of the final moment were important remain to be seen.
Mad Max: Fury Road
- Release Date
- May 14, 2015
- Runtime
- 120 Minutes
- Director
- George Miller
WHERE TO WATCH
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 s up with Imperator Furiosa, a warrior woman leading a rebellion against the cult's leader, Immortan Joe.
- Writers
- George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
- Prequel(s)
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Sequel(s)
- Mad Max: The Wasteland
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