Equalizer 3: Antoine Fuqua Says It's Probably The Last (& It's For The Right Reason)

Contains spoilers for "The Equalizer 3"

Denzel Washington doesn't exactly pursue franchise projects. He tends to focus his efforts on dramas and action flicks that stand alone from anything else. But Washington has made a big exception for "The Equalizer" series. The same holds true for director Antoine Fuqua. He may have directed the first installment of the "Olympus Has Fallen" series but didn't do any of the sequels. The same can't be said for "The Equalizer" franchise, where he directed all three. 

It's clear this particular series means something special for Fuqua and Washington, with each film sending Robert McCall on a new path toward achieving justice in an increasingly chaotic world. And even though Sony would probably love to do "The Equalizer 4," especially if the newest one does well at the box office, it seems Fuqua's done with Robert's journey. 

Looper attended a Q&A hosted by Collider with Fuqua, and he spoke about how everything must come to an end, and "The Equalizer 3" feels like a good sendoff for McCall. Fuqua continued, "The first one is about finding purpose. He's trying to find a purpose, and he found it. The second one is about dealing with the past — his wife dying, Susan gets murdered, his friends betray him ... And this one's about finding a place ... Where do you go from that?" The ending of "The Equalizer 3" sees McCall dancing and smiling amidst the Italian townspeople, so it might put a damper on things to drag him out for another bloodbath.

The first two "Equalizer" movies see Robert McCall enacting justice in Boston, Massachusetts. Various people require his assistance, and he's more than happy to make sure the bad guys know not to take advantage of everyday folks. While there's a slight detour to Boston in "The Equalizer 3," much of the film sees McCall in Italy. While he has a job to do there, he has a wound treated by a doctor in a small seaside village that he takes a liking to. He finally seems happy for the first time in what seems like a long time. That joy is hampered a bit by the presence of the Italian mafia, but McCall makes sure they get their just desserts. 

The first film sees McCall rediscover his purpose. He works at a hardware store, but when a young woman needs his help, he realizes he's the only one who will step in to save her. The same can be said throughout "The Equalizer 2," where he's the only one willing to stand up and help the people in his community. The same can be said for the Italian village, except he doesn't have to worry about any more bad guys showing up there. He took out the entire mafia at the end and can finally be at peace. 

Many film series these days seem to go on in perpetuity. It's rare for characters to get genuine endings; when they do, it's usually through death. But ending "The Equalizer" series with number three means the audience can take solace in knowing Robert McCall is finally happy. 

"The Equalizer 3" is playing in theaters now.