Warning: SPOILERS forDen of Thieves 2: Pantera.The follow-up toDen of Thieves 2: Panterais still in early development, but a recent casting tease by star O’Shea Jackson Jr. suggests that the movie may follow closely in the footsteps of theFast & Furiousmovies. The story forDen of Thieves 3hasn’t been fully revealed yet, althoughDen of Thieves 2’sending bears enough similarity to the end of the fourthFast & Furiousmovie to suggest that Nick might play a different role in the franchise moving forward.
Director Christian Gudegast previously announced thatDen of Thieves 3will move the action to Africa, with two more sequels to follow set in South America and Asia. This will provide several opportunities to build onDen of Thieves 2’s castby adding new characters with every location change. And thanks to remarks made by star O’Shea Jackson Jr., it might be possible to make a few guesses about just whoDen of Thieves 3might add to its roster and how the additional cast would add to the franchise’sFast & Furioussimilarities.
Den Of Thieves 3 Star O’Shea Jackson Jr. Really Wants WWE Stars To Join The Franchise
Adding Wrestlers To The Cast Will Enhance The Sequel’s Action Beats
WhenScreen Rantcaught up with Jackson Jr. at the WWE’s preview event in February,Den of Thieves 3had only just been greenlit without a finished script. The actor revealed that he’s been on a fitness kick recently that could affect his character, suggesting Donnie may have a more imposing physical presence in the sequel.He also suggested wanting to recruit some talent from WWE to feature in the sequel, which could boost the franchise’s success afterDen of Thieves 2’s disappointing box office. Casting a wrestler could also lead to the sequel featuring more stunts and action.
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AlthoughDen of Thieves 2’s streaming releasecould give the movie a popularity boost with home audiences, featuring a few more recognizable names inDen of Thieves 3could help the franchise’s bottom line. Now that Donnie’s working with the mafia andNick may work with Donnie in the future after seeming to help him escape custody, there are several opportunities to introduce new characters as either mafia soldiers or law enforcement. And based on what casting Dwayne Johnson did forFast Five, a bit of star power might be all it takes to ensureDen of Thieves 3’s success.
Den Of Thieves 3 Casting WWE Stars Will Rival Dwayne Johnson Joining Fast & Furious
The Franchise Could Easily Create A New Action Movie Star
While theFast & Furiousmovies have never struggled to make money,casting Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbsresulted inFast Fiveearning nearly twice as much as the film before it. Casting another current or previous WWE star in yet another heist franchise could result in similar financial success. It would also be perfect timing, sincethe possibility of an alliance between Nick and Donnie would necessitate a new foil for the pair. Casting someone who poses an obvious physical threat would fit perfectly and benefit the film’s action scenes.
The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift
$340 Million
$714 Million
There are plenty ofwrestlers who have become actors, butperhaps the best move forDen of Thieves 3would be to kickstart an entirely new acting career. Actors like Johnson and John Cena, both of whom have appeared in multipleFast & Furiousmovies, have headlined extremely profitable films since their forays into the movie world. TheDen of Thievesfranchise could easily pave the way for a newcomer to do the same. And while O’Shea didn’t name anyone in particular, there are at least a few wrestlers that are most likely to have earned his attention.
Which WWE Wrestlers Could Appear In Den Of Thieves 3?
The Timing Of Jackson’s Comments Hint At A Few Big Names
O’Shea and Gudegast could be eyeing any number of wrestlers and otheractors we’d like to see inDen of Thieves 3, but the fact thatJackson Jr. specifically talked about recruiting wrestlers during the February preview eventsuggests his eye would have been drawn to a few names in particular. John Cena’s working on his retirement year, Cody Rhodes has been an outspoken name in the WWE this year, and the year’s first Royal Rumble highlighted wrestlers such as CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre.
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All of the above have acted to varying degrees, although most have yet to land any exceptionally memorable roles. Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre feel right for the franchise’s aesthetic, although Cody Rhodes may be due for Hollywood stardom with a major WWE storyline and an appearance in the upcomingThe Naked Gunreboot. WithDen of Thieves 2having failed to receive much love at the box office, casting someone likes Rhodes as an antagonist in the sequel would make practical use of his status as a wrestler who WWE fans just love to hate.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Cast
Sheriff “Big Nick” O’Brien tracks Donnie Wilson to Europe after his daring escape. As Donnie becomes deeply involved with diamond thieves and the Panther mafia, the stakes rise with a plan to rob the world’s largest diamond exchange.
