As Den of Thieves 2: Pantera blasts its way into theaters on January 10, 2025, fans of the original may be surprised to see Big Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler) defect to the other side. Then again, given how much the maverick leader of The Regulators bent the law and played by his own rules in the first film, perhaps his criminal turn isn’t so shocking.
After all, Den of Thieves is most compelling when it parallels the criminal Outlaws, a gang of bank robbers, with the LAPD Regulators tasked with catching them, crystallizing the thin line between the heroes and villains. While it always seemed Nick was one step away from crossing the line, Butler has explained why the morally vexed detective lost his way and felt compelled to abandon the Regulators and join the Outlaws for a risky European diamond heist.

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/5

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

IMDb ID

tt8008948

Runtime

0 Minutes

Cast

Gerard Butler
, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
, Meadow Williams
, Jordan Bridges
, Evin Ahmad
, Swen Temmel
, Bob Jennings
, Michael Bisping
, Salvatore Esposito
, Orli Shuka
, Cristian Solimeno
, Nazmiye Oral
, Yasen Zates Atour
, Dino Kelly
, Rico Verhoeven
, Velibor Topic
, Antonio Bustorff
, Yuri D. Brown
, Birol Tarkan Yıldız
, John West Jr
, Ciryl Gane
, Mark Grosy
, Ignacio Herráez
, Stéphane Coulon

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Den of Thieves Ending, Explained

Understanding Big Nick’s change of heart in Pantera requires examining the original movie’s conclusion. Written and directed by Christian Gudegast, Den of Thieves is a hard-boiled American heist movie inspired by Michael Mann’s Heat. With a sympathetic focus on both sides of the law, the story follows Big Nick O’Brien, the leader of L.A.P.D’s Major Crimes Unit, specializing in bank robbery investigations. At work, Nick is a rogue officer who skirts the law, plays by his code of conduct, and does whatever it takes, legal or not, to catch bank robbers.
When Nick learns that a gang of bank robbers called The Outlaws, comprised of former U.S. Marines who operate with military precision, is targeting $30 million in un-circulated bills from the Federal Reserve Building in Los Angeles, he leads the Regulators to stop them. The case takes a psychological toll on Nick, who turns to alcohol and sees his marriage to Debbie (Dawn Olivieri) crumble. As he loses hope, Nick is tempted to cross the criminal line.
After killing the Outlaw leader, Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), Nick leaves his life as an LAPD officer behind. He frequents a bar where an Outlaw member named Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) serves drinks, only to realize Donnie masterminded the entire heist before fleeing to Europe to start a new diamond robbery. With very few positive prospects worth pursuing, Nick’s temptations get the best of him in Pantera.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’s Premise, Explained

Lionsgate

Set immediately after the first film, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera finds Nick hotly pursuing Donnie to London to prevent him from pulling off an elaborate diamond robbery. The subtitle “Pantera” refers to the Pink Panther jewel thieves and the story is inspired by the notorious 2003 Antwerp diamond heist in Belgium.
However, Nick’s moral compass loses direction. He no longer has the ethical support system or professional oversight he had in Los Angeles, and the irrepressible urge to join the gang of jewel bandits becomes too strong to avoid. Helpless, hopeless, and feeling abandoned by his domestic family and professional colleagues, Nick believes he has no choice but to join Donnie and The Outlaws in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.

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Watching the first film, Nick and Dawn’s marriage appeared irreconcilable. The two constantly bickered, leading Nick to drown his sorrows in alcohol. However, with two young daughters to provide for, Nick’s criminal crossover isn’t the wisest decision for his children’s well-being. Yet, according to Gerard Butler via The Direct, Nick’s futile home life and lack of familiar Regulators have given him no choice but to join forces with Donnie and go full bank robber.
Why Big Nick Defects & Joins The Outlaws

Lionsgate

Nick’s strained marriage to Deb was emphasized further in Den of Thieves’ deleted scenes, including arguments at the beach and grocery store. According to Butler in his intense action movie, his unsatisfying home life was a chief reason for his criminal defection. Discussing Pantera with The Direct, Butler stated:

“Well, Nick, I think, used to be the guy who has a killer instinct. He’s very good at taking down the bad guys, and he’s good at winning. He only really knows that. At the end of the last movie, he thought, I’m screwed, and that guy’s good. So it kind of washed him out, broke him up, but it also brought him back to life, in a way…

… And he doesn’t feel supported by the cops. He’s divorced. Life has not been so great. But he has Donnie, and Donnie is something to aim for. So, he’s like a bear with a sore paw that leads to all these great opportunities with the movie and the heist.”

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After doggedly pursuing Donnie and The Outlaws in Den of Thieves, Pantera shifts gears to become more of an affectionate buddy movie between the two. As Butler adds:

“By the time you finish this movie, I really feel like you’ve been on an epic journey from start to finish. But especially with these two guys, you just love what they go through together, and you never know. It’s just constantly pulling the rug from underneath you as to where they’re at.”

Only time will tell if Donnie and Nick’s newfound allyship will entertain fans enough to warrant a third Den of Thieves film. Until then, Nick’s law enforcement career of toeing the legal line ends with his deliberate decision to help Donnie pilfer a European diamond stash in Pantera.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is currently playing in theaters