Gerard Butler’s Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is now on streaming, leading to questions about whether the first movie is a must watch to understand the sequel. The 2025 action heist movie is a sequel to 2018’s Den of Thieves. Gerard Butler returns as Big Nick O’Brien opposite O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson, as the two characters play central roles in an international diamond heist targeting the World Diamond Center. Lionsgate released Den of Thieves 2 in theaters in January 2025, where it was a modest box officer performer, earning $57 million worldwide.

The movie has now become available to a new audience thanks to Den of Thieves 2‘s streaming debut on Netflix. While some people might not have even known a sequel came out to the seven-year-old action movie, others may have been waiting to see it at home. Some may not have heard of either film until seeing Den of Thieves: Pantera atop Netflix’s streaming charts. If you’re in the latter camp and want to watch it, you could be tempted to queue up for the sequel immediately without watching the original movie. But that’s not the right choice.

Watching Den Of Thieves 1 Before Den Of Thieves 2 Is Recommended

The Original Film Provides Important Background For The Sequel

As with any franchise, having knowledge of the previous installments is always helpful when watching a sequel. That’s the case with Den of Thieves 2. Watching the first movie will give you a better understanding of who Big Nick and Donnie are as people. How their lives are intertwined is important for Den of Thieves 2‘s ending. Having a complete familiarity with what they went through in the first movie is the recommended way to go into the sequel. It’s also just a rather entertaining crime/heist movie to enjoy. It helps that Den of Thieves is also streaming.

I’d highly encourage watching Den of Thieves before watching the sequel, but it is not vital. The sequel focuses on an entirely different heist with a brand-new crew. There are only a few Den of Thieves 2 returning characters, with some playing minor roles in the plot and having limited callbacks to the first movie. And with Den of Thieves‘ 2 hour and 20 minute runtime, finding time to watch it before sitting down for another two-plus hours of Den of Thieves 2 just might not work for your schedule.

What To Know If You Want To Watch Den Of Thieves 2 Without Seeing Den Of Thieves 1

Here Are The Biggest Details

The original Den of Thieves revolves around Gerard Butler’s Big Nick as an LAPD officer tracking down a Los Angeles robbery team. O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie is forced by Big Nick to work as a mole and help the cops bring down the criminals. What audiences and Big Nick don’t realize until Den of Thieves‘ ending is that Donnie was the mastermind behind the Federal Reserve Bank robbery and got away, setting up shop in the UK and beginning to plan the diamond heist that takes center stage in the sequel.

The robbery of the Federal Reserve Bank is mentioned at different points throughout Den of Thieves 2. As far as other details that come up in the sequel, knowing that Big Nick was going through the beginning of divorce proceedings in the first film is relevant, as is that a criminal named Merrimen was the leader of the robbers who made Donnie’s plan a success. Big Nick is willing to do anything to get justice, while Donnie is a brilliant criminal who is full of surprises. Knowing all that, most of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera will make sense.