Den Of Thieves 2 Shows How Brilliant Donnie's Den Of Thieves Heist Really Was

Christian Gudegast's 2018 action crime movie Den of Thieves paved the way for the 2025 sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which served up a reminder about just how brilliant Donnie's original heist was. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera sees O'Shea Jackson, Jr.'s Donnie Wilson ascend to the next level as a thief, as he manages to pull off a heist at the World Diamond Center, one of the most secure facilities in Europe. In the course of that feat, which was inspired by a real-world diamond heist, Donnie showcases himself once again as a master of manipulation and strategy.

The sequel also picks up the story of Gerard Butler's Detective Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien, who was outsmarted by Donnie in the original movie but finds himself aligned with the former marine and the group of robbery specialists known as The Panthers. Big Nick is a master manipulator and strategist himself, and he and Donnie work well together as thieves after finding they have a common background. The LASD detective refers back to the original heist early in the movie, and in doing so confirms just how perfectly executed and brilliant Donnie's heist in Den of Thieves actually was.

Den Of Thieves 2 Confirms The Federal Reserve Doesn't Believe They Were Robbed

Donnie Stole Money That Was Not Accounted For

Donnie's planned robbery of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve in Den of Thieves was dependent on one key element: they wouldn't even know that they had been robbed. While there were a couple of slight hiccups along the way, Donnie, Merrimen and the other thieves managed to make away with $30 million in "unfit" currency, meaning cash without serial numbers that was due to be shredded and taken out of circulation. After being captured by Nick and his crew, Donnie manages to escape custody and flee the scene of the shootout between Merrimen's thieves and Nick's officers.

Nick eventually realizes that it was Donnie who was the hidden mastermind behind the heist all along, but when he and his team kill Merrimen and raid their escape vehicle, they find bags of shredded paper, while the Federal Reserve reports all currency accounted for. In Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Nick reveals that not only did Donnie and his friends make off with the $30 million at the expense of Merrimen and his crew, the Federal Reserve was legitimately unaware they had been robbed, meaning nobody would be hunting them.

Den Of Thieves' Federal Reserve Heist Hid Another Great Reason For Donnie's Brilliance

He Robbed A Place That Would Never Reveal A Robbery

Donnie's heist in Den of Thieves carries a feature that also applies to his heist in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Given both the Federal Reserve and the World Diamond Center's reputations as completely secure facilities, neither would ever admit to being robbed in the first place, no matter what is taken. The reputation for both buildings is predicated on how advanced their security measures are, so even if they are robbed, they'd never report that to the world at large and risk ruining their reputation.

Knowing that would be the case for both places serves Donnie in the long run as a thief who intends to continue working, because as he mentions in Pantera, for him, it's about the thrill of the heist, not the money. By robbing places that would never report theft to anyone except perhaps a small circle of investigators, it keeps the number of eyes on Donnie limited at all times. As Den of Thieves 2: Pantera demonstrates, Big Nick was the only one still on Donnie's trail specifically, although the Panthers themselves had a task force dedicated to their capture.