Contains spoilers for “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

George Miller has refilled the tank of guzzoline and shifted things in reverse with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” telling the origin story of the best driver in the Wastelands — Imperator Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy). But while all eyes are on the warrior who’s lethal in her war rig, the biggest surprise might be is that Miller finds time to include a guest appearance of the original road warrior, Mad Max Rockatansky — although not in the way you might expect.

While Tom Hardy isn’t playing Mad Max in “Furiosa,” his stunt double Jacob Tomuri stepped into the role. His presence isn’t a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter egg, either, but a pivotal part of Furiosa’s story. Moments after she endures the life-changing injury of losing her arm, Max is seen up on a hillside, similar to how we first saw him in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” watching her shuffle across the sands fighting to stay alive. After that, we cut to black and see Furiosa waking up in one of the tunnels outside The Citadel of Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), suggesting that Max rescued her while she was unconscious. In a prequel full of moments audiences may have expected, this fleeting one might come as the biggest surprise. More importantly, though, it does pose a question regarding their second meeting that would take place years later that we’ve already seen unfold all shiny and chrome.