Tom Hardy on 'Mad Max': He's 'Ready' For More — Leaving All That Past Talk About the Difficult Film Shoot in the Dust?

Mad Max: Fury Road was one of 2015’s best (and most critically acclaimed) films, a high-octane action extravaganza in which Tom Hardy took over for Mel Gibson in the title role of a future-wasteland road warrior. Given that it was shot in the arid Namibian desert and stretches of Western Sydney, and that most of its outrageous vehicular stunts were done the old-fashioned way — with real people and real cars and trucks — it was no surprise to hear Hardy admit, once production was over, that he owed director George Miller an apology for being so “grumpy” and “frustrated” on the grueling set, due in large part to the fact that it was tough trying to figure out exactly what the filmmaker wanted from his cast.

Hardy’s ill-temper apparently also spilled over to his relationship with co-star Charlize Theron, who found the shoot “relentless” and said that it was often difficult working with Hardy, telling Esquire, “We drove each other crazy.” Even though the duo eventually patched things up once their collaboration was finished — Hardy gave her a portrait signed “’You are an absolute nightmare, BUT you are also f***ing awesome. I’ll kind of miss you. Love, Tommy’” — it’s clear that Fury Road was anything but a walk in the park for the two A-listers.

Related: Why a Fourth ‘Mad Max’ Film With Mel Gibson Failed to Get Made…Twice

Time, as they say, heals all wounds, however, and now Hardy has made it clear that he’s ready to once again get in the driver’s seat for another Mad Max saga — if, that is, Miller decides to get in touch. Asked by The Wrap about rumors of a sequel moving forward, and that both he and Theron would be reprising their roles, Hardy was enthusiastic about the possibility of the movie happening:

“Yeah I believe so! I don’t know when that starts, but I believe that’s in the books. There’s a couple of those floating around. I’m waiting for the call to come.”

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Moreover, Hardy seemed to make it clear that, if making Fury Road was an arduous process, he’s forgotten its most difficult moments, telling The Wrap the 2015 hit “was so good, man.”

While Theron hasn’t chimed in yet about whether she’s game to revisit her one-armed badass heroine Imperator Furiosa, it stands to reason that, if Hardy can let bygones be bygones, it’s easy to imagine his Oscar-winning leading lady doing likewise — especially considering that Fury Road grossed $379 million at the global box office and won six Academy Awards. To read more about Hardy’s (and Miller’s) thoughts on a future Mad Max, head over to The Wrap.

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