Den Of Thieves 3 Is Already Setting Up Its Copy Of Dwayne Johnson's Fast & Furious Casting

Warning: SPOILERS for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.The follow-up to Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is 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 the Fast & Furious movies. The story for Den of Thieves 3 hasn’t been fully revealed yet, although Den of Thieves 2’s ending bears enough similarity to the end of the fourth Fast & Furious movie to suggest that Nick might play a different role in the franchise moving forward.

Director Christian Gudegast previously announced that Den of Thieves 3 will move the action to Africa, with two more sequels to follow set in South America and Asia. This will provide several opportunities to build on Den of Thieves 2’s cast by 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 who Den of Thieves 3 might add to its roster and how the additional cast would add to the franchise’s Fast & Furious similarities.

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

When Screen Rant caught up with Jackson Jr. at the WWE’s preview event in February, Den of Thieves 3 had 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 after Den 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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Although Den of Thieves 2’s streaming release could give the movie a popularity boost with home audiences, featuring a few more recognizable names in Den of Thieves 3 could help the franchise’s bottom line. Now that Donnie’s working with the mafia and Nick 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 for Fast Five, a bit of star power might be all it takes to ensure Den 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 the Fast & Furious movies have never struggled to make money, casting Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs resulted in Fast Five earning 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, since the 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.

There are plenty of wrestlers who have become actors, but perhaps the best move for Den of Thieves 3 would be to kickstart an entirely new acting career. Actors like Johnson and John Cena, both of whom have appeared in multiple Fast & Furious movies, have headlined extremely profitable films since their forays into the movie world. The Den of Thieves franchise 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?

O’Shea and Gudegast could be eyeing any number of wrestlers and other actors we’d like to see in Den of Thieves 3, but the fact that Jackson Jr. specifically talked about recruiting wrestlers during the February preview event suggests 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 upcoming The Naked Gun reboot. With Den of Thieves 2 having 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.

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Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

5/10

Release Date

January 10, 2025

Runtime

144 minutes

Director

Christian Gudegast

Writers

Christian Gudegast

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  Gerard Butler

  Nicholas Big Nick O’Brien

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  O’Shea Jackson Jr.

  Donnie Wilson