A Potential Equalizer 4 Would Depend On One Thing And One Thing Only

"The Equalizer" has been a sturdy franchise for Sony over the last decade. Based on the 1980s CBS series starring Edward Woodward, the films are a model of narrative simplicity: Denzel Washington plays Robert McCall, a world-weary yet principled ex-CIA operative who bounces around the globe to help powerless people overcome viciously corrupt criminals. They're self-contained vigilante yarns powered exclusively by one of Hollywood's most magnetic stars in full-on badass mode. Aside from their extrajudicial nature, they're basically Charles Bronson's "Death Wish" movies absent the racism and wretched treatment of women.

As such, they're utterly critic-proof, and Washington, a two-time Oscar winner who's widely considered to be one of our finest actors, shows no compunction about playing to the cheap seats. He knows audiences dig him in this kind of badass role, and, thus far, he's been proven right at the box office. The first two films (barely) passed the century mark at the domestic box office, and performed reasonably well internationally. They're stand-up doubles that quickly entered the heavy rotation of "dad films" on TNT.

So it's a bit surprising to hear from Antoine Fuqua — who's directed Washington five times now, including in "Training Day," which earned Washington his first and thus far only Best Actor Oscar — that "The Equalizer 3" will likely be the end of the road for Robert McCall. Though there's no such thing as an effortless film production, these movies come off as well-oiled, formula-driven machines. Why stop now?

Though Fuqua made it fairly plain in an interview with Total Film that this is the last "Equalizer" go-round for him and his star, he's savvy enough about this business to know that, provided the movies keep doing business (and "The Equalizer 3" is projected to open in relatively the same $30 million range as the last two), no franchise is ever truly dead. As he told Entertainment Weekly:

"I believe this would be it. We've both talked about it that way. But you never know! Listen, Denzel's in shape. He's training every day. If you saw him now, it would blow your mind. He's like 60 pounds lighter, even from 'The Equalizer.' He's really healthy. Yeah, it's up to him. Obviously, if he wanted to do another one, I would as well, but I don't see it. But who knows?"

"The Equalizer 2" arrived four years after the first movie, while five years transpired between the second and third installments. So if this time frame holds, Washington would be in his early 70s if they decided to make "The Equalizer 4."

It all depends on how Washington wants to play out the third act of his brilliant career. His next film will be Ridley Scott's "Gladiator 2," the production of which is currently on hold due to the AMPTP's arrogant refusal to deal in good faith with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Having followed Washington's career closely since he blew me away in 1987's "Cry Freedom," I think he's most likely to take on a less commercial project. It's been five years since his last visit to Broadway (as Hickey in Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh"), and that's an itch he's scratched four times over the last two decades. He might be feeling that compulsion again.

Washington could also direct another movie. Given that his last behind-the-camera effort, "A Journal for Jordan," bombed out with moviegoers and critics, I could see the uber-competitive star wanting to get back on that horse. But he really seems to get a kick out of playing McCall. If Harrison Ford can still pull off Indiana Jones at 80, there's no reason Washington can't whup up on some scumbags at 73. It might not be what critics want, but there isn't a movie star more appreciative of his core audience than Washington. Sometimes you've gotta serve up the red meat.