Every Returning Character in ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’

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Den of Thieves 2: Panthera

The sequel to Den of Thieves is set to hit theaters on January 10, 2025, continuing the tale of audacious bank heists, seven years after The Outlaws pulled off a daring robbery at Los Angeles’ Federal Reserve. Despite the absence of Ray Merrimen (portrayed by Pablo Schreiber) in the high-risk overseas operation, some familiar faces from the first installment reappear for another round of intense action scenes as the plot unfolds in London.

In the follow-up movie titled “Den of Thieves 2: Panthera“, written and directed by Christian Gudegast, we find a continuation of the 2018 bank robbery crime thriller’s storyline. Notable characters on both sides of the law reappear in this sequel, maintaining the intense cat-and-mouse game between The Outlaws and The Regulators. Here’s who’ll be making a comeback in “Den of Thieves 2: Panthera“.

Gerard Butler as Big Nick O’Brien

In the sequel to “Den of Thieves,” Gerard Butler, famously known for his role in “300,” returns as Nicholas “Big Nick” O’Brien. As a head of a group of corrupt L.A. police officers called The Regulators within the Major Crimes Unit, Big Nick is tasked with investigating a series of bank robberies. In the underappreciated 2018 action film, The Regulators chase after a gang of robbers known as The Outlaws, who are led by Ray Merrimen (Schreiber). Comprised of ex-U.S. Marines, this group is notorious for their relentless efficiency and strategic planning skills.

In his tumultuous life, Big Nick grapples with alcohol addiction, marital strife with his ex-wife Holly, an unhealthy preoccupation with capturing The Regulators, and neglecting his two young daughters in the process. His ethics are questionable as he’s ready to bend rules to apprehend robbers, even if it means compromising his morals. In Den of Thieves 2, Big Nick persists in tracking down Donnie Wilson, the sole survivor who escaped to Europe with plans for a fresh diamond robbery heist.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. Donnie Wilson

In the movie “Straight Outta Compton,” O’Shea Jackson Jr. broadens his character as Donnie Wilson when Pantera journeys overseas. Initially, Donnie is depicted as a minor player and getaway driver for The Regulators who is naive and inexperienced in the original version. However, through Big Nick’s investigations, it is unveiled that Donnie is actually the mastermind behind the Federal Reserve heist in Los Angeles, successfully obtaining $30 million in outdated, unused bills.

After discovering that Donnie has deceived the Regulators and transferred the stolen funds into a secret account in Panama, Nick tracks down Donnie across Europe, where Donnie is preparing for another diamond heist. As per Gudegast via Screen Rant, this upcoming robbery is modeled after the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist that took place in Belgium. The title “Pantera” symbolizes the group of jewel thieves known as the Pink Panthers.

Meadow Williams as Holly O’Brien

Meadow Williams, who was previously seen as Holly O’Brien in the movie “Den of Thieves”, will reprise her role in “Den of Thieves 2”. In the initial film, Holly was portrayed as the wife of Ray Merrimen, who had been imprisoned for a decade. Despite Ray asserting that he has changed, his bond with Holly is marked by pain and conflict, similar to Nick’s strained marriage to Debbie (Dawn Olivieri). Nevertheless, Holly remains steadfast in her support of Ray and his criminal activities.

In “Den of Thieves 2,” we don’t know if Holly will join The Outlaws in Europe or communicate with them from elsewhere, but given that Ray was killed in the first movie, it’s likely she’ll be seeking revenge. Regardless of her location or who she teams up with, Nick has to handle Holly’s vengeance, along with Donnie and a fresh group of international thieves. Unfortunately, since Olivier isn’t in the sequel, it looks like Big Nick’s marriage is struggling.

Michael Bisping as Connor

Den of Thieves, a film, was known for its intense violence and strong masculine themes. The director, Gudesgast, accomplished this by featuring actual MMA fighters such as Max Holloway and Oleg Taktarov in minor roles within The Outlaws gang. Despite Holloway and Taktarov not appearing in Pantera, former MMA star and UFC Champion Michael Bisping will return to his role as Connor in the upcoming sequel.

Towards the close of “Den of Thieves”, Connor shows up in a European tavern, where he meets Donnie. Pretending to have a British accent, Donnie greets him before Connor presents his criminal confederate who’s planning their upcoming heist across Europe. It’s clear that Connor’s role will expand beyond what it was initially; his middle management position being merely the start of a larger storyline. The original movie concludes with Nick discovering an old soccer photograph featuring Connor and Donnie on the same team, hinting at a long history of collaboration that could prove valuable in “Den of Thieves 2”.

Jordan Bridges as Bob

Ultimately, it’s confirmed that Jordan Bridges will reprise his role as Bob in the series Pantera again. Originally, Bob was a Federal investigator based in Los Angeles, known for upholding the law and maintaining strong moral principles. He is essentially the polar opposite of his arch-nemesis Big Nick, a character who often disregards rules to apprehend criminals and ensure they face justice.

In the upcoming sequel, it’s unclear whether Bob will play a part or not. However, it is evident that Gudegast has placed numerous challenges for Big Nick to overcome in “Den of Thieves 2”. Apart from preventing Donnie from pulling off a daring diamond heist with his new European associates, Bob (alongside Holly and Connor) is one of the many loose ends that Nick must neatly resolve when “Pantera” hits the cinemas on January 10, 2025.

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2025-01-05 03:31