Will There Be An Equalizer 3?

Denzel Washington is one of the most consistently bankable and popular stars in Hollywood. With Academy Award wins for his roles in Glory and Training Day, combined with standout performances in the likes of John Q., Inside Man, Fences, and so many other films, it's easy to see why the actor has remained so respected for decades. 

His popularity is all the more impressive considering his tendency to stay away from big franchises. Even when one of his most popular movies, Inside Man, received a sequel, he didn't appear in the follow-up (nor did anyone else from the original movie). In fact, when you look at Washington's nearly 40-year career, the only sequel you'll see him in is 2018's The Equalizer 2. 

Based on the 1980s-era crime series of the same name starring Edward Woodward, The Equalizer movies utilize the same basic premise to follow Robert McCall (Washington), a man with a dangerous past who uses his skills to protect innocent people from those looking to cause them harm. Robert may not be a superhero, but the series has a vigilante edge to it that makes it feel right at home in the 21st century alongside the likes of The Punisher and John Wick. 

Considering it's the first and only franchise to have Washington come back for a sequel, there obviously must be something here that the actor's interested in exploring further. And if you're wondering whether Washington and director Antoine Fuqua will reunite to round out a trilogy, you might still have hope.

Around the time The Equalizer 2 came out, Fuqua sat down for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in which he spoke about the process of making the sequel. He also commented on what kind of projects he wants to see Denzel Washington take on next. Naturally, the conversation shifted to whether Fuqua would come back to direct a third installment in the Equalizer series. His response: "Yeah, absolutely." 

To this day, we're still waiting on any official word from the studio, but Fuqua offered a reason to have hope in that 2018 interview. "Sony has brought it up and talked about it," he revealed. "It would be great to do it again. It would be great to do it again with Denzel. I'm looking forward to The Equalizer 3, if that happens." Both films in the series have done well financially so far, with the first grossing $192 million worldwide and the second bringing in almost as much at $190 million. Considering the two films had budgets between $55 and $60 million, they've been solid performers, so it certainly appears the series has built-in fans who actively want to see Washington kick butt on the big screen. 

Fuqua even has some ideas for what direction The Equalizer 3 could take. "I would love for it to take place internationally, I think Denzel would be a great James Bond-type character," the director said. "[Denzel and I] talk about a lot of different things. I've got some things I'm developing and roles I'd like him to play." Considering Washington and Fuqua's other collaborations have given audiences the likes of Training Day and The Magnificent Seven, it's definitely proving to be a fruitful partnership that has the potential to extend to plenty of other worthwhile films, and audiences are waiting with bated breath to see what the pair will come out with next. 

There may not be any official confirmation on The Equalizer 3 just yet, but the franchise is about to make its way into a whole new medium. The Equalizer is returning in the form of the forthcoming CBS crime drama of the same name, which will star Queen Latifah in the gender-swapped lead role as Robyn McCall (via Variety). 

The show's trailer offers a good glimpse at the kind of gritty, street-level action we can expect out of the reboot. Similar to previous Equalizers, Robyn is an individual with an impressive set of skills, and she uses her dark, seedy past to assist the less fortunate. This time around, she's a single mother taking care of her teenage daughter, and there's bound to be plenty of conflict as Robyn struggles to balance her vigilante lifestyle with setting a good example for her child. The cast is rounded out by Adam Goldberg (Taken), Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black), and Chris Noth (Sex and the City)

The show is set to premiere on February 7, 2021 after the Super Bowl on CBS. It's unclear how the television series could impact development on The Equalizer 3. It's possible the studio wouldn't want multiple projects under the same name out there in popular culture at the same time, but then again, the TV series could reinvigorate the franchise and draw in new fans ready to turn up at the theater. For all we know, The Equalizer 3 could cross over with the show and have Washington and Latifah's characters team up. It's a long shot, especially considering both their characters have the same last name with supposedly no familial relation, but stranger things have happened.