For the first time in Angel Has Fallen, Banning is no longer sure if he can trust his own agency. He can't sleep, he can't get through the day without pain killers. For Gerard Butler, this was exactly the way he wanted to see Banning—not idealized but rather a hardboiled warrior facing down his own doubts– inviting audiences into a ride as psychologically volatile as it is filled with stunts and battles.

Knowing he wanted both more grit and more emotional depth, Butler searched for a director who could thread that needle. He found what he was searching for in Ric Roman Waugh, a former stunt performer seen in a long roster of 80s action classics, who came to the fore as a director with his taut, tense trilogy of prison thrillers: Felon, Snitch and Shot - Caller.