Despite talk of a fourth Equalizer happening, the hidden chapters that form the first three movies mean it shouldn’t. The Equalizer movie franchise marks the first time Denzel Washington has played a character more than once. I understand why Denzel broke his no sequel rule for the series too, as each entry explores new elements of his character, Robert McCall.
In the original, McCall is a lonely widower who puts his old skills as a government agent to good use, with the next two movies exploring the complexity of his vigilante lifestyle. The Equalizer 3’s ending left McCall in a good place, having laid down his weapons and retired to a small Italian village.
Despite the third movie being produced with the intent of closing out the series, Washington has confirmed he’s signed on for two more Equalizers. How the fourth entry will bring McCall out of retirement has yet to be revealed, but it would need to be something significant to undo the ending of the last movie.
The Equalizer Trilogy Is Broken Into Three Chapters: Purpose, Peace & Place
The Equalizer’s screenwriter broke McCall’s arc into three movies
Richard Wenk wrote all three Equalizers movies, and on the SpyHards Podcast revealed it was never a given that it would become a trilogy. Despite Sony and the producers wanting it to become a franchise, Washington refused to commit to further movies, feeling that audiences would decide if they wanted more or not.
Despite not “foreseeing” sequels, Wenk mentally mapped out a three movie arc for McCall, stating “… purpose, peace and place were the sort of thematics in my head.” In the original Equalizer, McCall is living a peaceful but drab existence and only finds his purpose by embracing the “Equalizer” persona.
It’s only by embracing his old skillset that he can help good people being victimized by criminals. In the second instalment, he is fully active as the vigilante, but Wenk felt that after teasing McCall’s past, McCall had to “make peace” with his wife’s death, his time with the government and the life he left behind.
This sees McCall facing off against his former partner, York (Pedro Pascal), and returning to the house he shared with his late wife. Of course, instead of bringing him closure, all he finds is an empty home, which is how Wenk sets up The Equalizer 3’s “place” theme.
He has no real community around him. He helps all these people anonymously and everything else. I think if I wanted to leave this guy, I would leave him with a family, would leave him with a community.
The third film opens with McCall at his most violent, where he brutally kills a gangster and his henchmen, before being sH๏τ by the man’s young son. According to Wenk, this is a sign to McCall that he needs to get out of this life before the next bullet kills him.
By the end of the third movie, Wenk’s thematic trilogy of “purpose, peace and place” has been fulfilled…
That leads the wounded McCall to a lovely, isolated little village that accepts him as one of their own. However, he first needs to save them from a tyrannical gangster, so more equalizing needs to be carried out before he can live in peace.
By the end of the third outing, Wenk’s thematic trilogy of “purpose, peace and place” has been fulfilled, and McCall has found his new home. It’s a neat three movie arc for Washington’s character, which is what makes The Equalizer 4 a tricky prospect.
The Equalizer 3’s Ending Should Rule Out Another Movie
It might be best for The Equalizer to McCall it a day
The Equalizer 3 was designed as a finale and works perfectly as one. Of course, the third film was a critical and commercial hit, and audiences wouldn’t mind another adventure with McCall. The fourth movie faces the same issue as John Wick 5, which is undoing what feels like a natural conclusion for its тιтle character.
Antoine Fuqua has directed all three Equalizer movies; he also directed Washington in Training Day and The Magnificent Seven.
There is no need for McCall to go on another rampage, as Wenk pointed out to SpyHards. The screenwriter claims to have a poster idea that simply reads “EQ4: Unfinished Business,“ which suggests characters McCall encountered in past movies could return. It doesn’t sound like he’s quite sure what that “unfinished” business entails yet, however.
Wenk has said he’s open to returning for a fourth Equalizer, but having wrapped up what he felt to be McCall’s arc, another outing would need a strong concept to justify itself. Then again, the series has never been terribly plot heavy, so maybe the prospect of seeing Washington’s McCall back in action will be enough to entice audiences.
Source: SpyHards Podcast
