Is this the first image of Tom Hardy as the titular character in Mad Max: Fury Road?

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

The recently-wrapped MAD MAX: FURY ROAD has been relatively quiet on the media front, minus some cool peeks at the costumes and storyboards, as well as a few on-set pics.  Actor Tom Hardy, who picks up the mantle of Max Rockatansky from the legendary Mel Gibson, has been decidedly absent in the sneak peeks we’ve seen thus far.  Until today.  There’s been some question as to the authenticity of the image, which comes from a fan on Tumblr.  That said, the image doesn’t have much to “pull from” in terms of making a photoshopped pic, so it’s very likely this is the real deal.

Take a gander:

Seems perfectly legit to me and consistent with the look and tone of the titular Mad Max.  Director George Miller returns to the film franchise that put him and Mel Gibson on the map, only this time with a new lead in Hardy.  It’s an inspired choice to pick up the mantle, really, as Hardy absolutely has the intensity and charisma to pull off the bad ass Road Warrior. 

The film also stars Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, and Riley Keough with a release date listed as sometime in 2014 for the U.S. and sometime in 2013 abroad.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it pops up earlier, though.  Until then, I will continue to look forward to seeing this new Mad Max in action.

UPDATE: The below pic is courtesy of Bleeding Cool, which shows a beardless Tom Hardy on the set of the film, which could mean that the beard argument against the above pic doesn’t hold up.  Max may rock a beard for a part of the film, but most likely not all the way throughout.  In fact, I think Hardy’s “Whisker Wars” worthy beard would work against a Mad Max film.  Here’s the pic:

Then, there’s the matter of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley…