Who is Praetorian Jack in ‘Furiosa’?

Warning: Spoilers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to follow.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has officially begun kicking the dust up in cinemas, and the George Miller enthusiasts of the world couldn’t be in for more of a treat short of a Fury Road re-release in IMAX. Indeed, armed with a pair of scintillatingly watchable performances from Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, the Mad Max identity is in as fine a form as ever, even if the film as a whole doesn’t exactly punch the way it should.

While plenty of faces from Miller’s 2015 crown jewel return for Furiosa, there’s a hearty helping of new characters as well. The major one is, of course, Hemsworth’s idiosyncratic dictator Dementus, but following closely behind is Tom Burke’s Praetorian Jack, who plays one of the single most pivotal roles in the entirety of Furiosa’s journey.

So, what is that role exactly?

Who is Praetorian Jack?

We’re introduced to Jack shortly after we’re introduced to Taylor-Joy herself (up until that point, Alyla Brown is center stage as a young Furiosa). The Praetorian commands the military forces of Immortan Joe’s Citadel, and is also the pilot of the War Rig, which carries out supply runs whilst fighting off raiders with its surplus of weaponry and soldiers upon it.

During one of these runs, Furiosa attempts to steal the War Rig from Jack in hopes of using it to return home, but he gets the upper hand on her and leaves her stranded. Moments later, however, he circles back to recruit her as his second-in-command, and offers to train her in the ways of the wasteland. During this time, they fall in love.

Later on, Furiosa and Jack are attacked by Dementus and his cronies during a supply run to Gastown, with the pair only managing to fight back and survive with a pair of bikes, a car, and a few guns in tow. Their attempts to flee together to the Green Place are in vain, however, as Dementus catches up with them and promptly tortures Jack, ultimately leading to his death.

In short, Praetorian Jack is effectively Furiosa’s mentor/lover who’s really good at driving and shooting, and who Furiosa is willing to risk quite a bit for. He was also the second person that was taken from her at the hands of Dementus, as if her vengeful bloodthirst towards the scruffy egomaniac wasn’t intense enough.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga releases to theaters in the United States on May 24.