Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is killing it at the moment. Not content with somehow making Aquaman‘s Black Manta into a genuinely compelling villain, he also impressed everyone in Jordan Peele’s Us and was one of the best things about HBO’s Watchmen. His star is only set to rise over the coming year, too, with this summer seeing him take a lead role in Candyman and featuring in The Matrix 4.
Of course, it’s well-deserved success. Abdul-Mateen II was jaw-droppingly good in Watchmen and the consistency and quality of his performances have producers and directors across Hollywood sitting up and taking note. Now, according to Collider’s SneiderCut podcast, the actor has a secured a role in an upcoming Mad Max project.
Currently, there are two Mad Max movies on the boil. The first is Mad Max: The Wasteland, which is centered on Max and has been described as “incredibly bleak.” Recent reports have indicated that the film will shoot sometime later this year, once director George Miller has completed Three Thousand Years of Longing.
The other film is Furiosa, a prequel based around Charlize Theron’s character from Mad Max: Fury Road. This would see a new actor stepping into Theron’s boots, showing us how Furiosa became Immortan Joe’s war captain. Though this appears to be on the back burner production-wise for now, it looks like this is the one that Abdul-Mateen II is linked to.
I guess we’re going to have to see how this all shakes out, but it’s been so long since the amazing Fury Road that I’m just hungry for any more action in the Mad Max universe. And if we’re lucky enough to get The Wasteland and Furiosa in quick succession, I certainly won’t be complaining.