Summary
- Many ideas for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga were developed before Fury Road, including characters from the 2015 Mad Max game.
- Scaborus Scrotus, a key villain in the Mad Max game, differs greatly in appearance and role in the Furiosa film adaptation.
- Characters like Chumbucket and Doctor Dementus from the game make brief appearances in Furiosa, with some differences in details.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a film almost a decade in the making by franchise mastermind George Miller, featuring a whole slew of ideas developed even before 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. As the famous Australian director's plans for the series evolved, many of these ideas were retooled for different projects, ranging from a live action TV series to an animated feature. Amazingly, however, much of the material that would be featured in the final film made its appearance in one such project; the Mad Max game from 2015, developed by Avalanche Studios.
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The story behind the development of the game is a rather interesting one unto itself. Though Miller had been trying to get a game made for quite some time, the game that ended up coming had almost no direct involvement from him (he isn't even listed in the game's credits). That said, the game's developers had access to Miller's official bible for the franchise, and ended up using many ideas contained within it that would later appear in not just Fury Road, but Furiosa as well. Here are a few references to the films that players might find in Mad Max (2015).
5 Scaborus Scrotus
Immortan Joe's Lesser Known Son
The primary villain of the Mad Max game is the towering Scaborus Scrotus. He is one of Immortan Joe's children and primary lieutenants, ruling over Gastown in the game. Much like his brother Rictus Erectus, Scrotus is a giant among men, though he isn't very bright. He also shares his father and brother's need for assisted breathing via an oxygen tank.
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This stands in stark contrast to how he is depicted in the Furiosa movie, in which he is both far leaner, shorter and does not have breathing problems. If anything, he takes on more of a Neanderthal-like appearance rather than a cross between Joe and Rictus. In Furiosa, Scrotus is also more of a minor character, played by Josh Helman (who previously played Slit in Fury Road). It is possible that Scrotus will reappear in another Mad Max film as its main villain, similar to how he appears in the game.
4 Chumbucket & The Magnum Opus
A Surprising Cameo to be Sure, But a Welcome One
Towards the end of Furiosa, the titular heroine is in need of a set of wheels in order to catch up with Dementus and exact her revenge. She is approached by an unnamed character, full of a zealous enthusiasm, he leads Furiosa to a vehicle he'd been building, one fit for her angelic status. The car turns out to be a bit of a piece of crap, but this is no better than what the player is met with when they run into this same character in the Mad Max game. This unnamed character in the film is called Chumbucket, whose name is only seen in the end credits of the film.
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In the game, Chumbucket is a mutant hunchback who serves as the player's sidekick throughout the story. Together with Max, he builds the Magnum Opus, the primary vehicle of the game. The film ditches the mutated hunchback look in favor of a more human-like appearance, but his religious fervor and enthusiasm for building the perfect car is retained. Like Scrotus, it is possible that he is primed for a return in a future Mad Max movie where he plays a larger role. This, however, has yet to be seen.
3 The Wasteland War
A Background Conflict Shown in Gory Detail
Throughout the Mad Max game, the player will hear tales of a wasteland road war fought between Dementus and Immortan Joe, in which the former is defeated by Scrotus, who is then put in charge of Gastown as a reward. While it doesn't play out quite like this in Furiosa, this wasteland war is shown in the third act of the film, even being dubbed "The Forty-Day Wasteland War" by the narrator. While it's not shown in depth, the devastation and savagery is put on display in a stylized montage just before Furiosa pursues Dementus.
The game makes no mention of Furiosa's part in ending the war (or of her existence at all), instead giving that credit to Scrotus, who is last seen arguing with his subordinates as Furiosa robs him of his unearned glory in the film. Rather than Scrotus receiving any reward or praise, this ends up being what gets Furiosa promoted to Imperator, priming her for what she'll accomplish in Fury Road.
2 Doctor Dementus
This Major Villain Appears in the 2015 Game... Sorta
Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth in the film, is one of the highlights of the whole franchise. The character is not only overflowing with personality but exhibits quite a bit of depth and evolution as a character throughout the film. He's almost like a mix between Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow and Heath Ledger's Joker in how he can be both goofy and dangerously psychotic as well as charismatic. All of this, however, exists entirely in the film, as Dementus appears in name only in the Mad Max game. His tomb can be discovered by the player, however.
In a cave on the southernmost tip of Gutgash's territory, Dementus' remains, as well as his personal vehicle, the Demented Chariot, can be claimed by the player. The car is a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, though Dementus drives a motorcycle chariot in the film. This is also not Dementus' final resting place in the film. In fact, whether Dementus even died is a matter of debate, as the film depicts several ways in which his story may have ended, none of them lining up with the game (which speaks to it's non-canonical nature).
1 Gastown
The Wasteland Fortress Makes its Film Debut
One of the standout locations in the Mad Max game is undoubtedly Gastown. Much like the New Vegas strip in Fallout: New Vegas, Gastown is a late game location that can be seen from many points on the map due to its shear scale and effect on the environment. The smokey black plumes emanating from its rusted towers blacken the sky to the point that the player is constantly reminded of its presence and that getting there is their ultimate goal. Once there, the player is greeted with mounds of waste and garbage littering the area, leaving only a single direct route into the town.
What's really cool is that after being teased in Fury Road, Gastown finally makes its film debut in Furiosa. While it doesn't match the game version's oppressive atmosphere, it makes up for that with its larger scale and more realistic design. Gone are the mounds of detritus, replaced with a huge mote of oil and mud preventing anyone from entering. The film also shows how it interfaces with the other major wasteland fortresses like the Citadel and Bullet Farm with regard to trade.
Mad Max
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
