A fan theory for the first Mad Max film was released in 1979, and followed Max, who was then played by Mel Gibson, in a war-torn Australia after oil has been depleted from the world. In the first film, Max was seeking revenge against a biker gang after they killed his wife and son. However, from the second film on, Max was presented as a much more mysterious wanderer of the wasteland.

Mel Gibson returned to portray Max in the second and third Mad Max timeline even more confusing. Although, a theory posted on Reddit about the characterization of Max fixes the series' timeline issues.

Max Rockatansky Is A Mythical Figure, Not A Real Person

Max Helps People In Need In The Apocalypse

Reddit TheZermanator argued that the four Mad Max movies which prominently feature Max are not separate stories from the life of the same character. Instead, they are all fables told about a road warrior named Max, who may not have even existed. Since society has collapsed and book-printing no longer takes place in the world of Mad Max, stories can only be told orally. Therefore, this theory argues that the story of Max Rockatansky has been ed around orally by a variety of different people.

If this theory is accepted as true, then that means that whoever is telling the story of Max can add in whatever details they want. The storyteller can add details about Lord Humungus, Auntie Entity, Immortan Joe, and the other characters in Mad Max, but the core characteristics of Max mostly remain the same. This explains why Max shows up in each movie to help people, then by the end of the films, goes back into the wasteland, all by himself.

Max’s Story Being A Legend Fixes The Mad Max Timeline

The Mad Max Timeline Has Been Confusing For Many Years

After Miller returned to the series after 30 years, the timeline of the Mad Max franchise got even more confusing. While Miller initially wanted Gibson to return to the series as an older version of Max in Fury Road, that plan didn't work out, and the director decided to cast Tom Hardy. However, Fury Road is apparently set multiple decades after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. If Fury Road's version of Max is the same one that appeared in Beyond Thunderdome, that doesn't make sense since he would be at least 70–80 years old, and not still in his 30s.

Furthermore, at the start of Fury Road, Max has a tattoo which states it's been 12,045 since the "fall," which is equivalent to 33 years. If the "fall" is assumed to be the apocalypse, then Max would have barely been born when the world "ended," which majorly contradicts the plot of the first Mad Max film. Therefore, the theory that Max is a mythical figure and not actually a real person would solve all of Mad Max's timeline problems.

Furiosa’s Story Still Makes Sense Even If Max Is Just A Legend

Furiosa Is The First Mad Max Movie To Not Prominently Feature Max

The theory then argues that while Max is a mythical figure, Furiosa is a real person. This makes sense as Furiosa spent much of her life at the Citadel and working for Immortan Joe. Eventually, at the end of Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa took charge of the Citadel. Therefore, unlike the mysterious road warrior who wandered in and out of people's lives in times of need, Furiosa actually led thousands of people, cementing her status as a real person and influential leader.

There was no need for Max to play a major role in the oral retelling of Furiosa's origin, since Praetorian Jack carried out that role.

Praetorian Jack's inclusion in Furiosa further solidifies this theory as true, since he shares many of the same qualities as Max. Praetorian Jack was also a figure who helped Furiosa in a time of need, proving that these wasteland wanderers and road warriors exist everywhere in the world of Mad Max. Therefore, there was no need for Max to play a major role in the oral retelling of Furiosa's origin, since Praetorian Jack carried out that role. However, years later, after the death of Jack, the mythical man named Max returned to help Furiosa in Fury Road.