The Equalizer isn’t going anywhere. Denzel Washington recently told Esquire, that the fourth and fifth movies in the franchise are in development. The news comes as a surprise after the recent The Equalizer 3 served as a conclusion to Robert McCall’s journey as an unpredictable hero. The vigilante isn’t done yet. Washington‘s protagonist will come back to take on more villains in the future, but a potential release date for the next Equalizer movie hasn’t been announced by Sony Pictures yet. Considering how this is the first time the upcoming movies have been mentioned, it could be a while before the studio discloses more information about the development of the sequels.
The latest installment in the franchise, The Equalizer 3, was directed by Antoine Fuqua. The sequel was centered around Robert McCall trying to enjoy his retirement in Italy when he must take action once again to take down Lorenzo Vitale (Bruno Bilotta). Unfortunately for the hero of the franchise, Vitale’s grandson shoots him in the back. The Equalizer 3 saw McCall attempting to heal his physical wounds while reflecting on his emotional ones. Dakota Fanning also starred in the third installment of the story. No cast members have been confirmed for the upcoming two sequels.
The Equalizer has proven to be a profitable endeavor for Sony Pictures. The reason why the movies featuring Robert McCall have become a success is the fact that the studio knows how to produce these action thrillers on a moderate budget. Each installment of the trilogy has managed to earn around $190 million at the global box office, keeping the franchise curiously consistent. The fact that two more installments are on the way wouldn’t come as a surprise if it wasn’t for how the studio marketed The Equalizer 3 as the end of the road.
Denzel Washington Is Excited To Return to ‘The Equalizer’
Denzel Washington has been portraying Robert McCall for a decade at this point, but the actor is still excited about returning to the role whenever he can. His eagerness to extend the franchise was what compelled him to talk about Equalizer 4 and 5 in the first place. During his interview with Esquire, the acclaimed actor also recognized that the constant demand for the character is what convinced him to return after The Equalizer 3. Here’s what Denzel Washington had to say about the development of two more Equalizer movies:
“I told them I would do another Equalizer, and we’re doing four and five. […] More people are happy about that—people love those daggone Equalizers. 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!’”
Release dates for the upcoming Equalizer sequels haven’t been announced by Sony Pictures. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates. You can watch The Equalizer 3 on Netflix.
via Collider