Tom Hardy has shared an update on the status of his return to the Mad Max franchise.
The British actor, who is set to return as Venom later this year, played Max Rockatansky in George Miller’s acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) opposite Charlize Theron, with whom he had an on-set feud.
Miller, whose first three Mad Max films, starring Mel Gibson, were released from 1979 to 1985, returned to the franchise’s world for a prequel focused on Theron’s character Imperator Furiosa, which was released last month to poor box office sales.
Hardy only appears in the film via recycled footage taken from Fury Road and, after watching the film, fans questioned whether the actor, who uses a Bugs Bunny-style voice in new film The Bikeriders, would return as Max in a mooted future installment.
Miller previously announced plans to release The Wasteland, a prequel focused on Max – but Hardy, 46, has shared a disappointing update on the project.
In a wide-ranging interview about his career, Hardy told Forbes of the film: “I don’t think that’s happening.” The actor did not elabroate on why he thinks this is the case.
Hardy prevously saddressed theonr’s claims that he made her “feel unsafe” on the set of Fury Road, telling Blood, Sweat, and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road: “In hindsight, I was in over my head in many ways. The pressure on both of us was overwhelming at times.”
The Inception actor added: “What she needed was a better, perhaps more experienced partner in me. I’d like to think that now that I’m older and uglier, I could rise to that occasion.”
Hardy stars in new film The Bikeriders as the leader of a lawless motorcycle gang. Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist and Norman Reedus also appear in the film, which will be released on Fariday (21 June).
