Mad Max: Fury Road almost starred Heath Ledger as Max Rockatansky

There is a shortage of perfect movies out there. And George Miller's MAD MAX: FURY ROAD with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron is one of them. But did you know that none other than Heath Ledger was originally Miller's first choice to play new Max Rockatansky? I sure as hell didn't.

Story goes Miller began developing FURY ROAD in 1998 but was postponed after 9/11. He then started planning again in 2003. But Australian weather ruined that go. Then in 2008 – right before the release of THE DARK KNIGHT – Ledger became Miller's first choice for new Max due to the actor's "maleness, charisma, and restless energy." Miller and Ledger talked about FURY ROAD "multiple times" but then as we all know, tragedy struck.

Now while I loved Tom Hardy's take on the character, I'm still sad to hear that we missed Ledger's version. How about you? Let us know below!

Meanwhile, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD begins

Years after the collapse of civilization, when the tyrannical Immortan Joe enslaves apocalypse survivors inside the desert fortress the Citadel. When the warrior Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) leads the despot's five wives in a daring escape, she forges an alliance with Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), a loner and former captive. Fortified in the massive, armored truck the War Rig, they try to outrun the ruthless warlord and his henchmen in a deadly high-speed chase through the Wasteland.

George Miller directed MAD MAX: FURY ROAD from a screenplay he co-wrote along with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. Miller also produced along with Doug Mitchell and PJ Voeten. It stars Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton. Warner Bros. unleashed Miller's new masterpiece back on May 15, 2015. BUY IT HERE.