F9 star Nathalie Emmanuel opened up about the potential of a Ramsey and Cipher storyline in the franchise’s future. Emmanuel joined the Fast & Furious franchise as the adept hacker, Ramsey, in Furious 7. In the eighth installment of the franchise, The Fate of the Furious, the cyberterrorist Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, was introduced as the new big bad.
Emmanuel's Ramsey is central to the plot of the Furious 7 as she creates an impressive global hacking device called "God’s Eye". Due to the highly sought after power of God’s Eye, Ramsey is kidnapped by international mercenaries and terrorists before being saved by, and subsequently inducted into, Dom’s main crew. In the following film, The Fate of the Furious, it is revealed that the new antagonist, Cipher, is who actually ordered the kidnapping of God’s Eye (and thus, Ramsey). Cipher’s superior hacking abilities are legendary in the hacking world and have allowed her to fool government intelligence agencies while maintaining her secret identity. Though Cipher is thwarted by Dom’s crew, she manages to escape and remain at large going into the upcoming film, F9.
In an interview with Screen Rant, F9 actress Nathalie Emmanuel expresses her excitement at the idea of the franchise exploring a dynamic between Ramsey and Cipher. Emmanuel explains that although Cipher is using her abilities for evil, the hacker in Ramsey can’t help but admire them. Hacking is, especially in the world of the Fast & Furious, a mostly underground field, meaning that hacking is often not used for the most ethical reasons. It would be hard for a hardcore hacker like Ramsey to not admire an impressive hack, even if it was illegal or dangerous. Emmanuel also takes a moment to state how much she’d love to work with the Oscar-winning Theron.
Nathalie Emmanuel: Oh, I'd love that. I kind of feel like Cipher is - as much as she's using her abilities in a bad way, and in a sort of negative way - there's a part of me that feels like Cipher is Ramsey's idol.
For years, she knew who Cipher was but didn't know the identity of Cipher. And now that she's found out who it is, there's a part of her that's going to be really impressed with that. It's like, "Oh, you're doing bad things, but you're kind of iconic. And I'm conflicted by these emotions."
I want to see that story play out.
Nathalie Emmanuel: Me too. That'd be epic. I mean, Charlize is amazing.
This dynamic isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility, as the women in the franchise have been very vocal about upping the ante on female representation. F9 will feature the first scene between just two of the original female main characters, Mia and Letty. Jordana Brewster, who portrays Mia, has publicly explained the integral role Michelle Rodriguez, who portrays Letty, has played behind the scenes in creating a stronger sense of sisterhood in the films. This is a real stride forward from the earlier days in the franchise which introduced many interesting female characters and love interests that ended up forgotten (Suki, anyone?) or swiftly brought back only to enhance a male character’s storyline.
Whether the dynamic between Cipher and Ramsey will happen is a mystery, but knowing that the women of Fast & Furious are fighting for their characters behind the scenes suggests that it's certainly possible. Having stronger and more fleshed out female characters in the series makes the story richer and more complex. Having a dynamic between two talented female hackers, who’ve mastered a male-dominated field, would create really exciting tension for both the characters individually, and the crew as a whole. This potential is noted by the cast as well, who have been pushing for an all-female Fast & Furious film. Until then, fans will just have to wait and see what strides are made in F9, which premieres June 25.