Den of Thieves franchise star O’Shea Jackson Jr. teases his character’s unrecognizable return and new cameo ideas for Den of Thieves 3. The franchise launched with Gerard Butler’s LA County Sheriff Big Nick bidding to stop a heist from a gang of jewel thieves led by Jackson Jr.’s Donnie. The success of the first movie led to the release of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which saw Nick and Donnie team up. Since then, a third installment was confirmed by Lionsgate.

In an interview with Screen Rant at the WWE 2K25 preview event in Indianapolis, Jackson Jr. opened up on his hopes for the franchise’s third installment. The Straight Outta Compton star revealed that though there is no script for Den of Thieves 3, the movie has at least gotten a greenlight and that he had a meeting with director and writer Christian Gudegast to discuss the film. He then mentioned wanting Donnie to be unrecognizable, before discussing potential WWE cameos. Check out his comments below:

“Well, right now, we just got the greenlight, so we don’t even have the script yet. We’re still working that out. I actually have to talk to Christian Gudegast the director and writer today about the direction of the third one but I’m going for a complete transformation.

For the last month or so, I’ve been on a bit of a fitness journey and I want Donnie to keep being a chameleon and we’ve seen him in two different ways now. Now, I kinda need to be unrecognizable. That’s what I want for the third one and being around the WWE, you never know. I might want to recruit some people over here.”

What This Means For Donnie’s Den Of Thieves 3 Journey

The Anti-Hero Could Wind Up Reinventing Himself Once Again

As Jackson Jr. is quick to point out, Donnie has always been a chameleon, who can adapt well to his environment. However, he is also not afraid to change his appearance and demeanor. Based on the latest comment, Den of Thieves 3 could see a more well-built and sculpted Donnie, who is in great shape after breaking out of prison at the end of Pantera and agreeing to work for the Octopus. This teases an exciting direction for the character since this new venture could enhance his story.

Donnie is the franchise’s villain, who evolves into an antihero and would certainly be classed as a fan favorite. His Den of Thieves character evolution has been intriguing, and making him “unrecognizable” will add another element to his journey. Jackson Jr. seems to be reveling in the opportunity to explore different approaches to his character, and he will no doubt look to get some of his ideas across to Gudegast during their meeting to discuss the movie’s direction.

Another question mark would also be his dynamic with Butler, which has also been the franchise’s key part. With Big Nick helping Donnie in his escape, it remains to be seen whether the LA cop would also be involved with the Octopus or if that was a one-time favor. Plus, it’s unclear if Big Nick ever returned to his former job or simply remained in Europe in the meantime. Still, the ending clearly opens doors for further exploration of both characters, so it’s not surprising that the cast and team want to establish a different side of Donnie.

Our Verdict On Den Of Thieves 3‘s Potential Cameos

Wrestlers Appearing In The Film Adds A New & Fresh Dynamic

The tease of WWE-related cameos in the upcoming movie would add a new dynamic to the franchise. The fact that Jackson Jr. appears to be a wrestling fan could see him attempt to recruit a few of the athletes for cameos in the third movie. Several wrestlers from WWE have gone on to have strong and successful careers, with Dwayne Johnson’s filmography standing out.

As for the transformation, that would perhaps be the most challenging part, given that we have already seen two different versions. It makes me wonder how Jackson Jr. wants to approach the unrecognizable factor in Den of Thieves 3, but I have complete faith that he will figure it out since he has already done a remarkable job fleshing out his complex character.