Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Fast X.
Fast X, the latest installment of the Fast & Furious film franchise is out, and for all the intense, high-octane, and fast-paced action of the Fast & Furious series, a noticeable omission is now all the more glaring with the franchise’s landmark 10th entry. Fast X marks the third appearance of Academy Award winner Charlize Theron in the role of the cyberterrorist Cipher. However, in all of her appearances, Cipher is yet to have a crazy driving action sequence in the franchise. With Theron on board to return for the next Fast & Furious movie, this omission is a mistake that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.
Cipher’s Role in 'Fast X'
Much like Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in The Fate of the Furious, Cipher makes the transition from an enemy to an uneasy ally for Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and the Family in Fast X. After a run-in with the film’s new villain, Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), her resources, tech, and minions are acquired by Reyes in his quest for revenge against Toretto, his friends, and loved ones. It is Cipher of all people who goes to Toretto for assistance first, informing him of Reyes’ treachery. Interestingly enough, Cipher is seen driving up to the Toretto residence in a high-tech, prototype DeLorean car. That’s right, the DeLorean, as in the car that Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) built into a time machine in the Back to the Future series. This brand-new electrical prototype DeLorean is only onscreen for a few seconds, and an injured Cipher is seen staggering out of it. Unfortunately, the movie never shows Cipher get behind the wheel of this concept vehicle for a big driving action or chase sequence. The brand-new, slick, and tricked-out DeLorean, apparently owned by Cipher, just makes a brief cameo in the film.
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The CIA apprehends Cipher and sends her to a black site prison in the Arctic where she’s later joined by Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez). They are put together in the prison's medical wing in a move orchestrated by Tess (Brie Larson) to help them escape. At the very least, Cipher is given the opportunity to partake in a knockdown, drag-out brawl with Rodriguez’s Letty, which is a step in the right direction for the franchise’s utilization of Theron and her talents. In another action scene, the film shows Cipher in action fighting off her guards who are coerced into Reyes’ service after he makes his grand entrance. So, Fast X is the first time the franchise shows Cipher in action and what she’s capable of when forced into a fight. In the previous films, Cipher is generally shown to be a cunning mastermind, who operates in the shadows and from a safe distance from the primary action. That said, The Fate of the Furious did show that Cipher was capable of making a hasty exit from her mobile HQ, a Boeing 787 jet.
Charlize Theron’s Action Movie Chops
While there has been some decent progression with Cipher overall within the Fast franchise, not letting Theron take part in a big driving stunt sequence is something that still needs to be fixed. Theron is no stranger to physical, action-heavy roles and action movies containing major action chase scenes. Theron has already participated in such scenes in the films The Italian Job, Atomic Blonde, and Mad Max: Fury Road. It's a shame that in three movies, none of the Fast & Furious directors have figured out a way to stage a cool car chase involving Theron. The franchise is literally wasting Furiosa, the Imperator who stood against Immortan Joe and defeated him at his own game. The Fast & Furious franchise needs to stop diminishing Furiosa.
It's perfectly in character for Cipher to own an electric prototype DeLorean. While her big driving sequence does not have to come in the form of using said DeLorean in the next movie, the next logical step for her character is the chance to get behind the wheel of a vehicle to show how much damage she can do in a franchise that’s built around vehicular action and stunts, And judging by her past appearances, besides being a master hacker, Cipher is a tech genius and knows her way around cars, as evidenced by her first meeting with Dom Toretto. Considering Cipher owns a unique prototype DeLorean, she seems to have a taste for rare collectible, one-of-a-kind cars as well.
Cipher’s Future in Fast & Furious
Fast X does leave the action in a place where Cipher is still a character on the chess board, and the film ends with her and Letty rendezvousing with a miraculously alive Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot), who is in control of a submarine. So, it looks like Theron will be back as Cipher in the currently untitled Fast & Furious 11, which will presumably continue right from where Fast X leaves off. At the very least, there will be one more opportunity for the Fast & Furious to give Cipher her own driving sequence. Whether she drives her prototype DeLorean or some other high-tech concept vehicle, Cipher should get her own custom ride and unleash absolute hell on wheels when finally given the opportunity.
Fast & Furious 11 was originally expected to release in 2025. However, with the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, as well as the potential strikes by the actors' and directors’ unions, further delays for the sequel are possible if new deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers are not reached by June 30. Not to mention, Vin Diesel recently teased a third part to the Fast X story at the film’s world premiere earlier this month. However, Universal has yet to confirm Diesel's comments. If the strikes cause additional delays, fans might be stuck waiting longer than expected to finally see Cipher get her big Fast and Furious driving moment.
