The Fast & Furious franchise does quite a few things incredibly well. Sadly, villains don't usually make that list. Although the series has done an impeccable job of making its ensemble of heroes feel like a bona fide family, its villains often don't do much to really engage the audience. However, according to Fast 8's composer, Charlize Theron's villainous Cipher is set to change that.
During a recent interview with EW, Fast 8 composer Brian Tyler explained exactly what Charlize Theron brings to the role of Cipher. He explained:
It's like a siren kind of thing. There's no question the havoc and villainy she brings [but] you're attracted to it. There's something where you can kind of see yourself in this villain that makes it more disturbing and, at the same time, more interesting. It's the sympathetic villains, in a way, who really get under your skin. In a much different way, but like how Anthony Hopkins did Hannibal Lecter, where you like him, but you're like, 'Wait, why am I doing that? I shouldn't be rooting for this person.' She has that ability to do that. She's just a fantastic actor.
In a way, this sort of villain really brings the Fast & Furious franchise back to its roots. The last few villains that the series has utilized have often felt like the personification of evil and villainy. Even Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw felt more like a force of nature than a real, well-rounded individual. However, it looks like Charlize Theron's Cipher will have genuinely sympathetic qualities not seen since Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto took up the role of the central villain in the series' first outing.
However, Brian Tyler makes a point to note that this does not detract from the fact that she's still very much the bad guy of the upcoming movie. Likening her to Anthony Hopkins' take on Hannibal Lecter, he notes that she's still a genuine villain, but also one with magnetic qualities that cause the audience to question what they're thinking about her while watching the film.
Series lead Vin Diesel similarly chimed in on the matter. On his Facebook page, he recently noted that Charlize Theron has absolutely nailed the role of Cipher, and that he's incredibly impressed by her work on Fast 8. Beyond that, he notes that this particular villain is like nothing else on Theron's acting resume. Considering her pedigree for action films of this ilk, that's pretty high praise.
Every time we hear about F. Gary Gray's Fast 8, we get even more excited about its inevitable release. Stay tuned for more details related to the next installment in the Fast & Furious franchise; Fast 8 will race into theaters on April 14, 2017.
