Exploring Dementus: Chris Hemsworth’s Mad Max Furiosa Prequel Villain, Explained
Mad Max is a post-apocalyptic and dystopian action film series. George Miller started the franchise in 1979 and has since released 3 sequels to the original movie. The franchise is now expanding with a spin-off prequel. This spin-off named Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is based on the character Imperator Furiosa. This character was introduced in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Furiosa is set to be released in May 2024 and will center on the origin story of the titular character. While Anya Taylor-Joy will be seen in the lead role, Chris Hemsworth will be introduced as a new villain named Dementus in the franchise. This brings us to the question- Who is Dementus and what is his role in the upcoming movie?
Who is Dementus in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?
In Fury Road, Imperator Furiosa is Immortan Joe’s war captain who turns against him and joins hands with Max Rockatansky to bring Joe’s wives to safety. Charlize Theron played the character of Furiosa in this movie and now, a younger version of the character will be portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy in the prequel.
A key character in this origin story is Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus, who is the leader of the wasteland gang Biker Horde, which kidnaps Furiosa while she tries to break free and return to her homeland. As the major details are still being kept tightly under wraps, not much is known about Dementus.
Read More: Furiosa: Why is Charlize Theron Not Reprising Her Role in Mad Max Prequel?
In the trailer that has been released for the movie, Dementus appears to be a character that is similar to Immortan Joe, albeit a little humorous. In the opening scenes, the Biker Horde is seen lugging what seems to be a horde of slaves. One of these slaves is holding a teddy bear, which is later seen attached to Dementus’ vest. Not to mention that he is also seen riding something akin to a post-apocalyptic chariot into battle.
As of now, the warlord’s relation to Furiosa is unclear. However, if Dementus and Joe happen to be rivals as suggested in the official plot synopsis for the movie, then most probably Furiosa defeats the former which allows Joe to become the mighty warlord he is depicted as in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Read More: Furiosa: Why is Charlize Theron Not Reprising Her Role in Mad Max Prequel?
Chris Hemsworth’s Comments on Warlord Dementus
Chris Hemsworth is most prominently for his portrayal of the God of Thunder Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He has appeared in numerous action movies over the years. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will see him in the role of a villain so it is an intriguing prospect for fans.
Here is what Hemsworth said of his character Dementus while speaking at CCXP in Sau Paulo (via Steve Weintraub on X):
“He’s a complicated individual, the character I play. He’s a very violent, insane, brutal person that is born from the wasteland which is the world where the Mad Max saga takes place. He’s a product of his environment, and there’s an intensity to him, as I said there’s a brutality, but he has been birthed into a place where it’s kill or be killed and he’s learned to rule with an iron fist.”
#furiosa takes place 45 years after the collapse and here’s #chrishemsworth talking about his kill or be killed character. pic.twitter.com/4bZh2NdQO4
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) November 30, 2023
Chris Hemsworth went on to say that Dementus has a “manipulative charisma” which gives his followers something to hold on to. The actor had a lot of fun playing the character so hopefully, fans will also have fun watching it.
