Does he mean the inspiration was in the character of Mad Max, or does he mean it was “in Mad Max?”
Eric Heisserer doesn’t go into any details beyond that, so exactly how Mad Max inspired Van Helsing is not clear.
The screenwriter for the new Van Helsing movie has revealed that he has partially based the new interpretation of the classic character on the hero of the wasteland, Max Roketansky from the Mad Max films – specifically in his attitude and idiosyncrasies.
The fact that the screenwriter specifies that Mad Max was the inspiration “early on” could indicate the character has seen some change over time.