The upcoming Mad Max movie, Furiosa, has the opportunity to answer a long-standing franchise mystery that’s lasted 43 years. George Miller returns to his iconic dystopian sci-fi world nearly ten years after the critically acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy leads the Furiosa cast, reprising Charlize Theron’s character in a prequel to the previous installment. While Fury Road picked up decades after Miller’s original film trilogy, Furiosa should be a bit closer in the timeline, allowing for more cohesion between the ’80s and modern Mad Max films.

On the Mad Max timeline, Furiosa is expected to occur roughly halfway between Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road. There are still decades between Furiosa and the original two movies, but exploring this gray area on the timeline allows movie audiences to see how the world devolved to the point of Fury Road. The contrast between the two eras is pretty notable, and establishing more continuity between the two could be fascinating for the franchise. One mystery from Road Warrior would be the perfect example.

Furiosa Could Reveal What Happened To The Settlers After Mad Max 2

The Settlers Never Saw Max Again, But They Could See Furiosa

Mad Max 2: Road Warrior is generally considered the best Mad Max movie from the original trilogy, perfectly combining the unique aesthetics of George Miller’s world with classic ’80s sci-fi blockbuster elements. The film sees Max come to the aid of a group of settlers in possession of a large tankard of oil, who are threatened by a deadly band of marauders. Road Warrior’s ending sees Max distracting the marauders so the settlers can escape with the tankard. While they allegedly make it to the beach as planned, Max remains in the badlands, still haunted by his past.

The closing narration in Road Warrior states that the settlers never saw Max again, so it makes sense that they weren’t in Fury Road. However, there’s plenty of room for Furiosa to encounter them, tying the two eras together and providing an answer to what happened to them. Given the estimated time difference, the Feral Kid would be roughly 60 by Furiosa and could be the leader of their settlement. This would be an exciting nod to those who’ve embraced the franchise for decades, connecting Furiosa to an iconic ’80s classic.

How The Settlers Can Factor Into Furiosa’s Story

The Settlers Could Appear As Supporters Of Furiosa, Perhaps In Conflict With Dementus

Furiosa is known to have come from the Green Place, so she can’t be a descendant of the settlers herself. However, her path for revenge against Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) could take her to any number of locations. Furiosa looks to be an action-packed cinematic experience with limited dialogue, so it’s doubtful that she’d ingratiate herself with the settlers to the same degree as Max. They could still make a brief appearance, providing her refuge or aiding her in some brief capacity.