Christian Gudegast’s action-packed heist movie got a sequel with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and here’s everything to know about the return of Gerard Butler’s Big Nick and O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie Wilson. 2018’s Den of Thieves received middling reviews but did manage to gross $80 million on a budget of far less, as well as gaining a following over the years since its release. Now the debut of the sequel, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera turns the first film into a bona-fide franchise.

Den of Thieves drew praise in particular for its Keyser Söze-like twist when Butler’s Big Nick realized that Jack Jr’s Donnie wasn’t the borderline-unwilling participant in a plot to rob the Federal Reserve when he first appeared. It was revealed at the end of Den of Thieves that Donnie was, in fact, the mastermind behind the entire heist. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera picks up after the first movie, with Big Nick traveling to Europe to join his old foe Donnie in a new heist. Though hardly the most inventive action flick ever, Pantera proved to be a worthy follow-up.

Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Box Office & Critical Reception

A Slightly Better Reaction From Critics & A Good Start Financially

After the first film delivered big at the box office (despite a negative critical reaction), the sequel already marks an improvement over its predecessor. Scoring slightly better reactions from critics (a 54% score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the first movie’s 41%) Den of Thieves 2: Pantera upped the ante and added some laughs too. IGN praised the sequel for its use of humor, and improvement over the original’s self-serious tone. Meanwhile, Screen Rant praised the movie for the same, but ultimately docked it for not going far enough with its new ideas.

Though a limp critical reaction was expected, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera‘s biggest success is in the financial department. Following the box office success of its predecessor, the sequel was under a lot of pressure to succeed, especially after a years-long wait. Fortunately, Den of Thieves 2 snagged $15 million in its opening weekend (via Box Office Mojo), and avoided compeтιтion with the last of 2024’s big blockbusters. While January is considered a slow period for Hollywood, Pantera slipped in and filled an important void for many audiences.

• Box Office: Den Of Thieves 2 Breaks Lionsgate’s Grim 2024 Streak, Robbie Williams’ Biopic Movie Tanks [Full Chart Update]
• Den Of Thieves 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Beats Original Gerard Butler Movie
• Why Den Of Thieves 2 Took 7 Years To Happen

Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Cast

Gerard Butler & O’Shea Jackson Jr. Return

Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen, 300) returned as Sheriff Nick “Big Nick” O’Brien and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton, Cocaine Bear) also came back as heist mastermind Donnie Wilson. No other Den of Thieves cast members such as Pablo Schreiber, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, or Evan Jones as Bo “Bosco” Ostroman returned in the sequel. Instead, the sequel introduced a new ensemble that makes up the тιтular Panther heist gang.

The entire announced cast of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera includes:

Actor	Den of Thieves 2: Pantera Role
Gerard Butler	Sheriff Nick “Big Nick” O’Brien
O’Shea Jackson Jr.	Donnie Wilson
Michael Bisping	Connor
Salvatore Esposito	Slavko
Orli Shuka	Dushko
Evin Ahmad	Jovanna
Cristian Solimeno	Florentin
Nazmiye Oral	Chava
Yasen Zates Atour	Hugo
Giuseppe Schillaci	Moussa
Dino Kelly	Volko
Rico Verhoeven	Vigo
Velibor Topic	Mirinko
Antoni Bustorff	Tamy

• Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Cast & Character Guide
• Gerard Butler & O’Shea Jackson Jr. On The Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Ending, Nick & Donnie’s Relationship & The Franchise’s Future
• Why Big Nick Switches Sides In Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Explained By Gerard Butler

Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Trailers

Watch The Full Trailers Below

In anticipation of the movie’s impending release, Lionsgate has released a full length trailer for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. The action-packed teaser opens with Nick still distraught over letting Donnie get away in the first film. Meanwhile, Donnie joins the world’s most ambitious diamond heist, but gets unexpected company when Nick arrives and demands a piece of the action. What the trailer doesn’t really answer is if Nick has truly turned to a life of crime, or if he’s merely going undercover to catch Donnie.

In November 2024, a second trailer for Den of Thieves: Pantera arrived, and it reveals even more of the explosive sequel. Starting with Nick determined to catch Donnie after his betrayal in the first movie, things shift as Nick joins Donnie’s crew and goes rogue. The gang plans a huge job, but Nick’s motives aren’t exactly clear, even though he claims to be a cop who has gone “gangster.“

Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Ending & Spoilers

A Twist After A Twist

Though it was possible to see the first twist ending of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera from a mile away, the film still delivered another swerve that proved much more satisfying. Even if the two-movie franchise is hardly the most original of all time, the ending of the second movie helps build up a relationship that will likely become crucial should the franchise continue in future installments. On top of all that, the explosive set-pieces were a nice bonus to the storytelling as well.

• Does Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Have A Post-Credits Scene?
• Den Of Thieves 2: What Pantera Means & How It Connects To The Story
• Den Of Thieves 2 Ending Explained By Gerard Butler & O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Den Of Thieves 3 Setup

A Buddy Action Franchise Is Born

Even though there were boilerplate elements to the ending of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, it did go a long way in setting up a potential sequel. While specific plot details weren’t teased, it’s clear that Big Nick and Donnie’s relationship is going to be the heart of the story going forward. Transitioning from a very serious action film to a more comedic buddy heist format is how the series could continue, and Den of Thieves 3 could find a way to build upon what was established in its predecessor.

• “I Will Not Wait Anymore”: Gerard Butler Promises Den Of Thieves 3 Is Coming Sooner After 6-Year Wait For Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera
• Den Of Thieves 3: Will It Happen? Everything We Know