Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were two of the biggest actors for three decades, but it wasn't until late in their careers that they finally collaborated in Heat. The 1995 movie is often considered one of the most well-crafted action movies in cinema, as its accurate and realistic depiction of heists and tactical police strategies greatly influenced Hollywood. However, the biggest appeal of Heat is the two incredible performances from Pacino and De Niro, two Academy Award-winning actors known for crime movies, and they go head-to-head in an intense cops-and-robbers chase movie.

De Niro and Pacino had often competed for the same roles, as De Niro almost played Michael Corleone in The Godfather and Pacino almost played Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (via Movie Maker). The two celebrated actors even starred in The Godfather Part II, but they didn't have any scenes together. They have so much history, but they finally shared the big screen in 1995, and De Niro and Pacino's leading roles in Heat made it one of the biggest event movies of the year. Though it was over 20 years after they both starred in The Godfather Part II, it was better late than never.

De Niro & Pacino Were In Their 50s In Heat

Pacino and De Niro were late bloomers in Hollywood, as no producer or casting agent paid attention to De Niro until he was nearing 30, and in Pacino's case, he was 32 when he got his breakthrough role in The Godfather. As a result, Pacino was 55, and De Niro was 52 in Heat, but the Michael Man-directed movie expertly took advantage of the actors' ages. The film chronicles Neil McCauley (De Niro), an aging and somewhat regretful criminal looking to retire and leave the life behind him. On the other side, McCauley is being tracked down by Vincent Hanna (Pacino), who's just as lost in the world after a string of divorces.

Could De Niro & Pacino Return In Heat 2?

Heat 2 was released as a novel in 2022, which was co-written by Mann and Meg Gardiner and is part prequel and part sequel. The novel follows Hanna and McCauley cutting their teeth as a detective and a bank robber, but it also follows McCauley tracking down Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) directly after the events of the movie. Now, Mann plans to adapt Heat 2 into a film, which can see Pacino return, and even though McCauley was shot dead by Hanna in Heat, De Niro can return for the follow-up given that a younger McCauley is still heavily featured.

De-aging technology has advanced so quickly, and Pacino and De Niro have already been de-aged in another collaboration of theirs, Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. That de-aging technology can be used for Heat 2. Unfortunately, it would be a Godfather Part II situation, as even though it'd be exciting to see Pacino and De Niro return, the two actors wouldn't have any screen time together. Mann might have opted to cast younger actors instead of using de-aging technology too, as Adam Driver is in talks to play a young McCauley (via Deadline). However, Pacino can at least return in the scenes that take place after Heat's ending.