Fast & Furious 9: Charlize Theron Reveals New Look For Cipher

The Fate of the Furious star Charlize Theron on Monday debuted a new look at cyberterrorist villain Cipher, who returns to menace Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and family in the untitled Fast 9.

“Cipher is the first female villain in the franchise. Even though she’s so evil, there’s something kind of cool about her,” Theron previously told Entertainment Weekly ahead of her franchise debut in 2017’s eighth franchise entry Fate. “There’s something great about witnessing a character coming in and taking what she wants.”

The villain manipulated Toretto into turning his back on his family, including ride-or-die Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), as part of a scheme to launch the world into nuclear war. She ultimately escaped after Toretto’s unlikely ally Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) rescued Toretto’s son, who was used as a bargaining chip to ensure Toretto’s forced cooperation.

Plot details on Fast 9 remain scarce. Theron makes her return alongside franchise veterans Jordana Brewster (Mia), Ludacris (Tej), Tyrese Gibson (Roman) and Furious 7 and Fate star Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey). Added in Fast 9 are franchise newcomers John Cena (Bumblebee) and Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy) in unknown roles.

Gibson previously told ET Theron’s addition to the ensemble cast was a huge “step up.”

“I feel like her coming on board— girl power. What we pride [ourselves in] in the Fast and Furious [franchise] is a very diversified cast that’s translating domestically and internationally in a major way,” Gibson said. “When you look at the movie poster and you look to the left, you look to the right, I’m like, ‘Fellas, we need some more women in here, man. We got to change this thing up a bit.’ We have bits and pieces of power women in it, but we needed to bring it up a notch. [We were] looking into the Ronda Rouseys, Michelle Rodriguez has been holding it down since day one, but we got Jordana Brewster and Charlize, we’re really stepping it up,”

Directed by Justin Lin (Fast Five), Universal Pictures has dated Fast & Furious 9 for May 22, 2020. It’s followed by Fast & Furious 10 April 2, 2021.