The Mad Max Timeline EXPLAINED

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re mapping out the post-apocalyptic timeline for the “Mad Max” film series. Naturally, there will be spoilers speeding ahead – so consider this is your warning. Are you excited to see where the “Mad Max” timeline takes us next? What film in the franchise got your motor running? Rev up in the comments below!

Paradoxes

Thanks to several movie contradictions, the “Mad Max” timeline can be fairly difficult to interpret. The 30-year filming gap between the third and fourth movies certainly doesn’t help matters, as it not only re-cast, but reimagined the central character. In fact, “Mad Max” series creator George Miller says that the fourth picture, “Mad Max: Fury Road,” stands as a sequel slash reboot slash retelling – all in one. This of course makes things even more confounding! However, looking at each film’s juncture in the story’s post-apocalyptic world, and regarding official resources such as the “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel comic, a general roadmap can be made.

“Mad Max” (1979) – The Mid-1980s

Released in 1979, the franchise’s premiere outing opens with a caption reading, “A few years from now.” We also get a shot of graffiti on a road sign dated December 1984. With that, we can conclusively say the events of “Mad Max” take place smack-dab in the middle of the 1980s. However, it’s not the colorful excess-laden 80s we know and love. Nope - in this story, the world has been thrust into a socioeconomic breakdown of mass proportions – this because of warring in the Persian Gulf. Oil production has been shuttered and martial law has been asserted, making room for brutal road gangs to take over the streets. This is where our titular anti-hero comes in. Max Rockatansky is part of the Main Force Patrol (or MFP) whose job it is to keep the violent roadsters in check. After a family tragedy, Max sets out for retribution against those who turned his life upside down. By the film’s close, it’s clear the world at large is in shambles, but there is some semblance of order still intact – albeit not much.

“Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” (1981) – The Latter 1980s

It is said that “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” takes place around three years after the end of the first installment - clearly placing it in the late 80s. Somewhat confusingly however, the events in “The Road Warrior” originally preceded the devastating global nuclear war in the timeline. The wasteland on display is explained as just more societal decay as a result of widespread oil shortages. The “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel comic altered this though, making it known that Nuclear Winter took place between the first and second movies. Regardless of the retcon, the world is still in rough shape, and our hero can be found traveling around searching for gasoline. We see Max join up with a peaceful group, all while Lord Humungus rules over a crew who pilfers gas. “Mad Max 2” serves as a great set up for the even more dire future on the way – one where merciless Warlords seek control by any means necessary.

“Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985) – The Early 2000s

Through some onscreen clues, we can decipher that the events in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” take place at the start of the third millennium. You see, when the Lost Tribe take Max in, they tell the story of how an airplane captain sought a new civilization after the “world fell,” and a date can be seen showing what appears to be the year 1999. And, with that pilot, Captain Walker, having been gone for a few years, it places the timeline in the early 2000s. It’s also made evident that the nuclear apocalypse has already taken place and the wasteland has grown more barren. And while tyrannical leaders still wield their power and hold archaic battles, we do see attempts to rebuild society. Heck, the movie ends on a surprisingly hopeful note with a group looking to build a new civilization. It should be noted that the dates referenced in the film conflict with the “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel comic, especially as it relates to when the nuclear war took place. Things will get even more murky with the timeline when the fourth film in the franchise arrives decades later. Which brings us too…

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) – Roughly the Year 2050

It's fairly certain that “Fury Road” transpires well after the events of “Beyond Thunderdome.” However, there are a few things that don’t quite add up in the timeline. One issue is Max’s age. In this fourth installment’s introduction, our protagonist is shown getting a tattoo of his blood type with other information. The tattoo actually has the “days since the fall” marked. It states it had been 12,045 days, which equals out to 33 years. This would mean this movie’s Max would have been just a boy (or perhaps not even born) when the nuclear apocalypse went down. One explanation could be that the Max in “Fury Road” is not the same Max as the previous films. Another contradiction is the fact that flashbacks in “Fury Road” show Max appearing to have had a little girl, while the first film shows he had a son. Will we get concrete answers to these inconsistencies? Likely not. So, it’s probably best to simply accept “Mad Max” as a mythical character. What “Fury Road” does confirm, however, is that the world at large is in full wasteland decline. All remnants of plant life are gone and the totalitarian Immortan Joe has enslaved numerous survivors - all desperate for water. Perhaps most importantly though, “Mad Max: Fury Road” introduces us to a powerful new figure in the mythos…

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (2024) – Roughly the Year 2030 and Prior

The next film in the “Mad Max” franchise will do something that has yet to be done in the series – go back in time. Yep, Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role of Imperator Furiosa from Charlize Theron in the last movie as we learn the character’s origin story. With extended plot details being held close to the chest by the folks at Warner Bros, it’s not known exactly what period(s) will be covered in the film. From the trailers however, it’s evident that this feature will span many years. Given the 20-year-age difference between Theron and Taylor-Joy, it’s a safe bet to assume Anya’s parts of the film take place around two decades before “Fury Road.” Whether things go back prior to the events of the “Beyond Thunderdome” remains to be seen. Miller and CO are also said to be working on another installment in the “Mad Max” film series subtitled: “The Wasteland.” However, not much is known about this project beyond the fact that it will serve as a direct sequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road.”