recently shared insights about his character’s surprising shift in. In a recent interview, he explained why Detective Nick O’Brien transitions from cop to criminal.
The sequel explores this change through Nick’s evolving partnership with Donnie, played by O’Shea Jackson Jr. In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Gerard Butler revealed why his character, Detective Nick O’Brien, turns to crime in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.
Nick’s descent stems from personal and professional struggles. “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,” Butler shared, explaining Nick’s motivation to collaborate with O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie, the criminal who outsmarted him in the first film.
Butler detailed how Nick’s transformation was driven by disillusionment and frustration. “At the end of the last movie, he thought, ‘I’m screwed, and that guy’s good.’ So it kind of washed him out… but it also brought him back to life,” he said.