The first three “Mad Max” movies are a clear trilogy, following the eponymous Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) as he descends from highway patrol officer to grizzled wasteland wanderer. As with many film franchises, the best way to watch the movies is in the order they were released.
- Mad Max
- Mad Max 2
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
In the original “Mad Max” timeline (more on that in a second), “The Road Warrior,” also known simply as “Mad Max 2,” takes place just a couple of years after the first movie. A nuclear war occurs in the aftermath of the second film, leading into the events of “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” However, this order of events has been altered a bit in recent years, with a tie-in comic for “Fury Road” retconning things and placing the nuclear holocaust just before the start of “The Road Warrior” instead.
“Fury Road” retcons a lot of things from the original trilogy — car models are from long after when the first film is supposed to take place, Max is still quite young despite spending decades in the wasteland, etc. — but according to the tie-in comics, it still treats the first three movies as canon. It’s a soft reboot that still takes into account everything Max (now played by Tom Hardy) has been through. And though “Furiosa” is a prequel to “Fury Road,” it will probably still be best enjoyed by those who already know Charlize Theron’s version of the character and have seen her story play out.
