Seeing this outcome, the security guard's first reaction wasn't suspicion but confusion.
Luke carried himself with such unshakable confidence that he didn't seem like someone who could possibly be trouble.
So, the guard hesitantly saluted him again. "General, I'm sorry, but I couldn't find your identity in the system."
Luke glanced over at Depp, who lowered his head to check the screen in his hand. It had just jumped from 99% to 100%.
The database update was complete. Depp lightly tapped Luke's shoe with his own, signaling everything was set.
"Try again," Luke said in a tone that left no room for argument.
Under the weight of his commanding presence, the guard cautiously scanned the ID again.
This time, Luke's identity popped up on the screen instantly.
The guard's face lit up with an "I knew it" expression. He saluted again. "My apologies, General! I should've recognized you sooner!"
But before he could finish, Luke had already turned away, his face cold and indifferent, leaving the guard with nothing but an arrogant view of his back.
Watching this unfold, Director Cohen couldn't help but marvel from behind the camera. "Such effortless acting. A few subtle glances, and he's got the general's commanding vibe down pat.
The audience won't question how the Kremlin's guards could be so clueless—they'll just think, 'If I were that guard, I'd be fooled by Luke too.'"
"The same script, but different actors bring such different levels of believability," Cohen continued.
Van Diesel, though not the strongest actor himself, had been in the game long enough to know talent when he saw it. "Watching this, it doesn't even feel like Luke's acting. It's like he is the general. There's no trace of performance—it's so natural. Is this the peak of what an actor can do?"
Having cleared one hurdle, Depp, lugging a suitcase, let out a relieved sigh and caught up to Luke. "That went pretty smoothly! Guess we're lucky today."
Luke shot him a sharp, disapproving look.
He didn't say a word, but his expression screamed loud and clear: Why would you jinx us like that?
Depp caught the look and sheepishly shut his mouth.
The two pressed on, the grand Soviet-style music swelling dramatically in the background.
They passed through an ornate hall and slipped out a side door, finally reaching the secure core area.
Cracking the electronic lock on the entrance was a breeze, and soon they stood before a long, straight corridor.
On either side of the corridor were archive rooms filled with files on the masterminds behind the scenes. If Luke could get in there, he'd find the guy who set him up.
The problem? A guard sat at the end of the corridor, and there was no way he'd let Luke and Depp pass unnoticed.
Getting through this wide-open, unobstructed hallway without being spotted was next to impossible.
But Depp was prepared.
The two suitcases he carried held the gear they needed to crack this challenge.
"Here comes the toughest scene," Van Diesel said from the sidelines. "But with Luke leading, as long as Depp doesn't totally drop the ball, it'll look great."
"You're not worried about Luke at all, are you?" Director Cohen said with a grin.
Van Diesel flashed a knowing smile, as if to say, Obviously.
The challenge of this scene was that Luke and Depp had to move forward right under the guard's nose without making a sound.
They also had to coordinate, relying entirely on gestures and eye contact to communicate.
To nail this scene, it wasn't enough for the characters to just throw out a couple of random hand signals. The audience in the theater needed to understand what they were conveying, even without dialogue.
Otherwise, it'd just look like two guys flailing their arms around, and then—poof—problem solved?
What did they even say to each other?
What did they do after?
This was a classic silent performance. The two characters couldn't speak, so they had to rely on body language and subtle expressions to tell the story.
Depp was a decent actor, but pulling off this scene was a tall order.
That's why Director Cohen designed it with Luke carrying the heavy lifting.
Depp's job was to follow Luke's lead, making simple, clear gestures in response.
The real challenge—conveying complex emotions and instructions through micro-expressions and body language—fell entirely on Luke.
Whether the audience could follow this silent performance depended on Luke's skill.
Depp pulled out a small speaker and used a sound emulator to create the sound of dripping water.
Drip!
It sounded like a drop of water had fallen nearby.
The guard, puzzled, stood up and walked over to check it out.
Seizing the moment, Depp quickly set up a silver "invisibility wall" across the corridor.
This "invisibility wall" was a high-tech silver screen that created an optical cloaking effect.
It worked by projecting a static image tailored to the guard's perspective, using eye-tracking tech to keep it convincing.
The screen was one-way transparent: the guard could only see the projected image, but Luke and Depp could clearly see his every move.
To the guard, the corridor looked completely empty.
Hidden behind the screen, Luke and Depp could advance it forward when the guard wasn't looking.
As long as they didn't move it right in front of him, they wouldn't get caught—it was like playing a high-stakes game of Red Light, Green Light.
With the screen set up, the guard turned back and noticed nothing unusual.
Luke, still behind the screen, held up three fingers—thumb, index, and middle—and made a pinching motion.
It was crystal clear: he was telling Depp to use the sound emulator again.
Depp pinched the emulator in front of the speaker.
Drip!
Another water drop sound echoed.
The guard's attention shifted again, and he turned to investigate.
With his focus elsewhere, they could move forward.
Luke pushed the screen with one hand while his other hand opened into a palm, pressing downward a few times.
Anyone could tell what that meant: Move forward.
Depp caught the signal and helped push the screen along.
But the next second, spotting the guard's movement, Luke clenched his fist tightly.
If you looked closely, his fist trembled slightly—clearly signaling: Hold steady.
Depp immediately stopped, matching Luke's pace.
He even flashed Luke a grin and a thumbs-up.