Warning: This article contains spoilers for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has cemented the series as a full-fledged franchise, taking the basic concepts from the first film and expanding them out into an entire world full of new and old characters alike. While Den of Thieves 2‘s reviews weren’t outstanding, the film was clearly a pretty big success for Lionsgate, enough that a third film has been greenlit and is currently being developed with director Christian Gudegast set to return, alongside Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. likely also set to return.

As Den of Thieves is quickly growing into a film series in its own right, it has been compared quite a bit to the Fast and Furious franchise, as even though that it has evolved quite a bit past bank and diamond heists, they are still a part of that franchise’s DNA. While Den of Thieves still has a relatively small cast of characters compared to Fast and Furious, there is plenty of room for that cast to grow, and it can do so by copying a lesson from that series.

Den Of Thieves Needs Its Version Of Fast & Furious’ Hobbs After Den Of Thieves 2

Hobbs Added A Lot To The Fast And Furious Franchise

The central duo of the franchise are Gerard Butler’s Big Nick and O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie, and while they started as enemies, they end Den of Thieves 2 in a much more friendly manner than when they ended the first film. Now that they are more comfortable working together, the Den of Thieves budding franchise needs someone else to step in as the big antagonist, similarly to the way that Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs showed up in Fast Five to act as its next big threat.

While Den of Thieves 2 showed that Donnie and Nick were comfortable working together to get the job done, the two more than likely aren’t going to get together without a very good reason. A new character that pushes both of them to their limits would be a great shared threat to reunite the duo. If the Den of Thieves series’ next villain is some kind of law enforcement, they could be a great reflection of what Nick could’ve been if he continued his career as a detective.

Den Of Thieves 3 Would Benefit From Following How Fast & Furious Cast Hobbs

Dwayne Johnson Was A Great Addition To That Franchise

Not only was Hobbs a great addition to the film as a character, but attaching Dwayne Johnson was a huge benefit to the series, as he was and continues to be a huge draw for audiences. While the Den of Thieves films have been successful enough so far, adding a big name that could draw in an entirely new audience would boost the film’s popularity significantly. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was a solid step into franchise territory, so the sequel should take notes from one of the most successful film series on the market.