The Australian action star will appear in George Miller’s eagerly-awaited follow-up to acclaimed 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road.

The movie, titled Furiosa, will see Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role, exploring the backstory of a character played by Oscar-winner Charlize Theron in Fury Road.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will also star in the film.

Hemsworth, known for playing Thor in the Marvel films, wrote on Instagram: “Pretty damn fired up to be a part of a franchise that meant the world to me as a kid growing up in Australia.

“Mad Max was the pinnacle and a huge reason why I got into the business of telling stories.

“The fact that I’ll have the honour of not only being directed by its original visionary in George Miller but also take part in Furiosa’s origin story is incredibly exciting. ”

Hemsworth, 37, said he has “huge respect” for Miller, Theron and her Fury Road co-star Tom Hardy, and added: “I’ll do my best to continue the tradition of cinematic badassery.”

Australian filmmaker Miller previously said he had considered recasting 45-year-old Theron as Furiosa, using de-aging technology to allow her to explore the character’s origins.

However he has settled on 24-year-old Taylor-Joy. She is an American-born Argentine-British actress who was partly educated in London.

Taylor-Joy is known for film roles including horror movie Split and its sequel Glass, as well as for appearing in a recent adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.

Fury Road was a huge critical and commercial success and scored 10 Oscar nominations, including for best picture and best director. It won six, including for costume design and production design.

Fury Road earned praise for its portrayal of Theron’s strong female lead character.

Mel Gibson starred in the first three Mad Max films.