The Equalizer 4 movie is happening, yet not much beyond that is known by fans who are eager for more.
Since 2014, Denzel Washington's Equalizer movie franchise has been wowing audiences as Washington's Robert McCall doles his own form of class-based justice across three films.
The series of action blockbusters is based on the 1985 TV drama of the same name, and it has even spawned a TV reboot of its own starring Queen Latifah.
4 Confirmed Details About The Equalizer 4
Denzel Washington Confirmed Not One But Two New Movies
Fans looking forward to more of The Equalizer may be in for a treat, according to its biggest star.
Denzel Washington (who made recent news discussing one of his upcoming roles in the MCU) has confirmed that not only is The Equalizer 4 movie on the way from him but also The Equalizer 5.
Speaking with Esquire while promoting his role in 2024's Gladiator 2, Washington let slip, "I told them I would do another Equalizer, and we’re doing 4 and 5:"
"I told them I would do another 'Equalizer,' and we’re doing '4' and '5'. More people are happy about that - people love those daggone 'Equalizers.' It’s about variety for me. I’ll sometimes say to myself, one’s for me, one’s for them. So, for example, 'Othello': we’re doing it on Broadway and then a movie. That’s for me."
"I’ve come to realize that the Equalizer films are for me [as well]," the Gladiator 2 star added. "We can’t get them, so you go get them," Washington opined, breaking down the power fantasy of why people love the Equalizer movies so much:
"But I’ve come to realize that the 'Equalizer' films are for me, too, because they’re for the people. They want me to go get the bad guys. 'We can’t get them, so you go get them.' And I say, 'Okay, I’ll get them! Just wait right there. I’ll be right back!'"
The Equalizer 4 Originally Wasn't Supposed To Happen
Something audiences should be aware of is the fact that The Equalizer 4 was never supposed to ever happen.
Before the August 2023 release of The Equalizer 3, Denzel Washington insinuated that the third movie would be the end of the franchise. Speaking with Empire, Washington revealed that his Robert McCall would "[find] happiness" by the end of the film and that "seems to be a good place to stop:"
"I don’t want to say he’s found happiness, and I don’t want to give it all away, but he meets someone lovely, he’s in a lovely town, and he seems to be at peace. That seems to be a good place to stop. I didn’t know that there were going to be three. Definitely didn’t know that when we did the first one. I didn’t know how it would end."
Director Antoine Fuqua echoed a similar sentiment in the same conversation, positing that "this is it:"
"This is it. Robert McCall, the working-man hero, at some point he’s got to walk away from it. At some point, someone else has to pick up the ball and serve justice. He’s served his justice. He’s in a foreign place; he’s trying to find a home, find a place in the world. That’s really what’s important."
However, that no longer seems to be the case. The likely reason Sony Pictures wants to move forward with the Equalizer franchise is the (relatively) surprising financial success of what was supposed to be the trilogy-ender.
Pundits have called The Equalizer 3 a surprising win for the studio since its release. The film — which was initially projected to open to a paltry $28-30 million worldwide — earned more than triple that in its first weekend in theaters, raking in a whopping $98 million during its August 2023 opening weekend.
The movie went on to earn over $191 million worldwide on a budget of roughly $70 million (via Variety).
A Crossover Is Not Off the Table
With two different Equalizer franchises going at the same time (one on the big screen and the other on terrestrial TV), a potential crossover between the two is not an impossibility.
Queen Latifah, the star of The Equalizer TV series (which is in the middle of its fifth season on CBS), previously teased a potential meeting of the two Equalizers.
Latifah (who plays the TV show's Robyn McCall) told Variety in 2022 that the ball is in Denzel Washington's court when it comes to a crossover. "That’s up to D," Latifah remarked, adding, "I’d be more than happy to connect with him on any level:"
"That’s up to D. It’s really between him and Antoine. Obviously, I love him to pieces. I have the greatest amount of respect for him. What he’s done with the films has been incredible, and I’d be more than happy to connect with him on any level. It’s just kind of like that with us."
She continued to heap praise upon Washington and his work within the Equalizer franchise, saying, "I'm looking forward to whatever he's gonna do because I know when he gets in the zone, it gets in the zone:"
"So, who knows what’s gonna happen? Who knows what could happen, but I'm looking forward to whatever he's gonna do because I know when he gets in the zone, it gets in the zone. I'm gonna keep doing TV's Robyn McCall and let him keep rocking the movie version of McCall; I know we’ll both continue to deliver."
Creator of the TV show Andrew Marlowe also brought up the idea of a crossover while speaking with Decider, telling the outlet, "It’s not anything that we’ve really talked about," but "we certainly haven’t ruled [it] out:"
"It’s not anything that we’ve really talked about… we are here creating our own universe. Is there a potential that there could be a crossover universe in the future? We certainly haven’t ruled that out. For us, it really is about building this show and identity around Robyn McCall and being very specific to a show where Queen is embodying the heart of it."
Denzel Washington Is the Only Confirmed Cast Member
As of writing, Denzel Washington is the only actor confirmed to join the cast of The Equalizer 4.
Washington has led all three Equalizer films to this point, starring as Robert McCall. The character is a former Marine and retired DIA/DCS officer who is thrown back to the thick of things, standing up for the little guy in a world where the criminal elite can walk all over everyday citizens.
Thus far in the Equalizer franchise, various A-list talents have put their stamp on the series, These big names have included the likes of David Harbour, Pedro Pascal, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Dakota Fanning.
Seeing as the franchise so far has included some stacked casts, fans should not expect that to stop with The Equalizer 4. Surely, there will be some major actors brought in to star opposite Washington, just who exactly remains to be seen.
One name fans have speculated could be back for the upcoming fourth movie is Dakota Fanning as Emma Collins — a CIA officer who allied herself and formed a bond with Washington's McCall in the last film.
Seeing as the bond between the two seemed to have deepened by the end of that last movie, one can assume Fanning could be back for the fourth, serving as a key supporting character in the hard-knuckled adventure yet again.
The Equalizer 4 has no confirmed release information.
