Anya Taylor-Joy takes over for Charlize Theron in ‘Mad Max’ prequel

Charlize Theron is definitely heartbroken that she wasn’t asked to play the popular, butt-kicking role of Imperator Furiosa in the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel. But at least fans can now rest assured that someone equally kick-ass is taking her place.The powers that be (a.k.a. director George Miller and Warner Bros.) have hired Anya Taylor-Joy to play the title character in the anticipated Furiosa spinoff of the 2015 film starring Theron and Tom Hardy. Not only that, but they’ve also announced Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) are coming along for the ride.According to Deadline the trio have joined the standalone movie, which dives into Furiosa’s origin story. Miller had said in the past that he would have loved for Theron to continue with the gig, but in order to tell his full vision he needed an actor in her twenties. “For the longest time I thought we could just use CG de-aging on Charlize, but I don’t think we’re there yet,” he previously told the New York Times. “Despite the valiant attempts on The Irishman, I think there’s still an uncanny valley. Everyone is on the verge of solving it, particular Japanese video-game designers, but there’s still a pretty wide valley, I believe.”It’s a big role for Taylor-Joy, but it doesn’t seem to be anything she can’t handle. After all, the 24-year-old has been making quite the name for herself lately, having starred in the latest remake of Jane Austen’s Emma and in M. Knight Shyamalan’s Split and Glass. Her latest TV series, The Queen’s Gambit, is also debuting on Netflix on October 23, and the show is already getting all kinds of critical attention.According to ComingSoon.net, Miller has been eyeing Taylor-Joy for the role for a while now. Earlier this year he reportedly considered Killing Eve star Jodie Comer for the gig, but eventually he landed back on the English-Argentinian actor. Because sometimes, it’s just best to go with your initial gut feeling. Meanwhile it’s unknown exactly what Hemsworth and Abdul-Mateen II will play in the film.When Mad Max: Fury Road hit theatres five years ago it reinvigorated the franchise, dominated the box office, and landed six Oscars. Additionally, Miller was nominated for best director and the film was among the best picture nominees that year. When fans met Furiosa in that film, she had already climbed the ranks of Immortan Joe’s (Hugh Keays-Byrne) soldiers, hinting at a pretty wild backstory."It’s a tough one to swallow," Theron told The Hollywood Reporter this past summer about not being able to continue with the groundbreaking character. "Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly."No word on when Furiosa will begin filming, but now that a cast is finally in place it’s only a matter of time.[video_embed id='2054080']BEFORE YOU GO: Selfies reported as cause of this boat crash[/video_embed]