Gerard Butler has his own version of the Fast & Furious franchise thanks to Den of Thieves 2, but now I just want him to join the real thing. When the Den of Thieves franchise began in 2018, the movie immediately felt like an R-rated version of early Fast & Furious films in several ways. The complex heists with shifting allegiances between cops and criminals in a Los Angeles setting harkened back to 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, in addition to all-time crime films like Heat and other great movies like Den of Thieves.

This sets up Gerard Butler nicely for the future, as he can keep making Den of Thieves movies for years. However, he is not beholden to only being in a single franchise. He’s found success in several other series, such as the Has Fallen trilogy. Through it all, Butler has refrained from joining established franchises and cinematic universes. His biggest, How To Train Your Dragon, was an unproven property when he got involved. His success with Den of Thieves as a franchise is impressive in that regard. But I can’t help but want him to do Fast & Furious next.

Den Of Thieves 2 Makes The Franchise Gerard Butler’s Version Of Fast & Furious

The Parallels Are Even More Obvious Now

If the first Den of Thieves had similarities to early Fast & Furious movies, Den of Thieves 2 is the film that makes it more in line with the more recent installments. The scale of Den of Thieves 2 is much smaller than something like Fast X, but the connections between them are difficult to ignore. The heist in Den of Thieves 2 takes an international turn that became common with Fast & Furious as the series continues. This includes an international cast and a plan that almost feels ripped out of Fast Five.

The sequel even leaned further into the cop/criminal bromance between Big Nick and Donnie. Fast & Furious did the same thing with Brian and Dom once the series took off with the fourth installment. There’s even the parallel of the cops moving onto the wrong side of the law and becoming too friendly with the criminal he was previously chasing. Den of Thieves 2‘s ending didn’t shy away from a car chase that also felt right out of a Fast & Furious movie.

The scale and tone of Den of Thieves movies is still very different from Fast & Furious, but the films have become a good showcase for what Gerard Butler can do in this type of genre and franchise. And as fun as it will be to see him keep coming back as Big Nick, a meet up with Vin Diesel and other Fast & Furious stars would also be incredibly exciting.

Gerard Butler Really Should Just Join The Fast & Furious Franchise

He’d Be An Excellent Addition To The Franchise

After copying the franchise in many ways with Den of Thieves 2, Gerard Butler should just try to find a role in the actual Fast & Furious franchise next. The Den of Thieves movies are a great audition tape, not that he needs one, for how he could effortlessly slide into the Vin Diesel action series. I can easily imagine him filling a role similar to the one Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs had earlier on. Butler can bring his Big Nick energy to Fast & Furious as a law enforcement agent who will stop at nothing to bring down Dom, or help him take down a bigger threat in the right situation.

But if Butler doesn’t want to play a “good guy,” he could join the ranks of Fast & Furious villains instead. The franchise has grown accustomed to casting major stars in antagonist roles and letting them really go for it with their performances at times. Jason Momoa, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, and John Cena are the most recent examples of this. In each case, the Fast & Furious films have cast someone with significant star power to face off with Vin Diesel. Gerard Butler would be a great way to continue that trend.

Regardless of if he’d be a hero or villain, there’s no doubt in my mind that Gerard Butler would be a fun addition to the Fast & Furious franchise. Seeing him fight Vin Diesel or teaming up with him to take on another villain would be truly entertaining. He’d bring some extra charisma, action movie star chops, and comedic potential to the long-running series.

Time Is Running Out For Gerard Butler To Join Fast & Furious

The Fast Saga Is Preparing To End

The bad news for my hopes of Gerard Butler joining Fast & Furious is that we’re quickly running out of time for this to happen. This is due to the current plan for Fast & Furious 11 to be the final installment of the main franchise. Vin Diesel has repeatedly said that the upcoming installment will be the end of the Fast Saga. Even if the franchise continues on with Hobbs spinoffs, an all-female team-up, or some other film, Fast 11 is expected to be the last time the core cast revolving around Dom are seen.

While Gerard Butler could factor into Universal’s plans for Fast & Furious after Vin Diesel’s exit, that’s not really the most exciting option. A big part of the appeal to me behind Butler joining Fast & Furious would be to see him and Diesel square off in some fashion. That can’t happen if Dom is retired and out of the picture. This leaves Fast 11 as the last chance for Gerard Butler’s casting to happen. While the ensemble will be packed, there could still be room for the Den of Thieves 2 star to join in a meaningful capacity.

Den Of Thieves 2 Sets Up A Bigger Future For Gerard Butler Than Fast & Furious Can Offer

Den Of Thieves Is A Better Long-Term Option

I’d love to see Gerard Butler be in Fast 11 and fight Vin Diesel ideally, but that doesn’t change the fact that his future with that franchise would probably be more limited than sticking with Den of Thieves. Unless he were brought on for the Fast Saga’s conclusion as part of a plan to have him lead the next iteration of the series, Fast & Furious would more likely be a one-and-done role for the actor. He could come back in some capacity, even if he weren’t the lead, in future movies, but that’d be less appealing.

That’s the opposite position that he’s in with Den of Thieves. Butler is already confirmed to be coming back for Den of Thieves 3. There’s a decent chance he could return for additional sequels after that too. In each instance, Big Nick will continue to be a major focus and keep Butler in a leading role. Fast & Furious has more box office appeal globally, and Den of Thieves sequels could benefit from Butler’s appearance in Fast 11 then. Perhaps that’d be reason enough for Gerard Butler to join Fast & Furious after Den of Thieves 2.