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Mad Max Fury Road’s Charlize Theron: Not Enough Women In Post-Apocalyptic Movies

Ahead of the release of the long-awaited ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ its star Charlize Theron has bemoaned the apparent lack of female characters in the post-apocalyptic subgenre.

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Speaking on US morning TV show Live! With Kelly and Michael (quotes via The Hollywood Reporter), Theron remarked, “I’ve always wanted to explore the genre a little bit more, especially because I think it’s such a misconception that women don’t like the genre, or that they don’t want to go and see these movies.

"I just feel like women have been so misrepresented in these films - why do we have to go and see the genre every single time with the girl in the back of the frame in a push-up bra? Why isn’t there a girl that’s standing on the same playing field with the guys?

“We don’t want to be guys, but in a post-apocalyptic world, we will survive!"

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Of her character in the George Miller directed film, in which British actor Tom Hardy takes over from Mel Gibson in the title role, Theron said, "There’s something really, really nice about playing this woman who is a woman, first of all, but is a rogue warrior just like Max and can fight just as well as Max with one arm.

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"I think all the women — there’s a lot of women in this movie, like three different generations of women in this story, and I think they’re represented really well. And they kick butt.”

We’re certainly encouraged by Theron’s enthusiastic remarks about the new ‘Mad Max’ movie, and we won’t dispute that Hollywood in general could use more strong characters for women - but even so, we really must question Theron’s argument here.

For one, Theron would appear to have forgotten about the last entry in the ‘Mad Max’ series, 1985′s ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome’ - in which Tina Turner had a major role as Aunty Entity, ruler of Bartertown. She was very much at the heart of the action, right down to driving in the climactic chase sequence.

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Theron would also seem to have overlooked 2008′s ‘Doomsday,’ a heavily ‘Mad Max’-influenced post-apocalyptic thriller in which Rhona Mitra took the lead - and kicked copious amounts of butt - as super-soldier Eden Sinclair, with a number of other strong women at her side.

We might also mention Adrienne Barbeau in 1981′s ‘Escape From New York,’ Sandahl Bergman in 1982′s ‘She,’ plus Haley Lu Richardson and Booboo Stewart in the upcoming ‘The Last Survivors’ - all good examples of strong female characters in post-apocalyptic movies.

And, of course, ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Divergent’ movies might well be classed as post-apocalyptic (or dystopian sci-fi at least, which is closely related), and there is certainly no shortage of strong women in those.

Still, regardless of what you think of Theron’s comments, none of it should in any way detract from the anticipation for the upcoming ‘Mad Max: Fury Road.’ Thirty years is a long time between entries in such a beloved series, and early word is it’s been totally worth the wait (it’s currently rated 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.)

If you’re in any doubt, you really must watch the trailer below if you haven’t already. It’s truly off the hook.

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ opens this Friday, 14 May, from Warner Bros.

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Picture Credit: Warner Bros, WENN