In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Charlize Theron recently expressed her sadness that director George Miller is casting a younger actress to play the titular character in Furiosa.

In one of the most memorable roles of the decade, Theron embodied a fierce survivor's energy as Furiosa in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, teaming up with Max to lead a dramatic escape of women from Immortan Joe's Citadel. But Furiosa, the prequel currently in pre-production, is set to cover the character's early life, and Theron, 44, is reportedly going to be replaced by an actress in her 20s.

Theron, who says she "really love[s] that character," described the decision as "a little heartbreaking, for sure," and "a tough one to swallow," adding, "I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him. He's a master … if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him."