Max joins only as a supporting ally during the chase sequence. This structure makes female agency and resistance to oppression foundational to the action premise, shaping character arcs around the wives' empowerment and direct critiques of the warlord's dominance hierarchy and commodification of women.

Casting places Charlize Theron in the lead role alongside diverse actresses including Zoë Kravitz as the wives, presented without alterations to any prior source material. Director George Miller described his own evolution into a feminist during production and consulted activist Eve Ensler specifically to ground the wives' scenes in real-world issues of trafficking and violence. He stated that these elements arose organically from the female-led premise rather than as an add-on. Audience and critical reception framed the film as a feminist action vehicle while it achieved commercial success, underscoring how the thematic focus on patriarchal resistance was integrated into the core narrative.