The Equalizer 3 Already Has A Script, And Denzel Washington Is Returning To Star

Great news for anyone who loves movies where Denzel Washington gets to beat the brakes off bad guys (see: everyone), as the third installment of Antoine Fuqua's "The Equalizer" series is said to be on its way with the star returning and a script already written. There's a good chance the film will be the next project for Washington, fresh off the heels of his brilliant performance in "The Tragedy of Macbeth." Washington dropped the news during an interview with Collider, discussing his latest performance:

"They have written the third 'Equalizer,' so I'm scheduled to do that. So I gotta get in shape and start beating people up again. I get to beat people up again. 'The Tragedy of Macbeth' and then going and beating some people up. Can't get any better, right?"

Fuqua is also apparently in negotiations to return to direct the third film, which, if Washington's timeline is any indicator, would make this film Fuqua's follow-up project to "Emancipation," the upcoming release for Apple TV+ starring Will Smith. The first "Equalizer" film debuted in 2014 with the sequel dropping in 2018. Including obvious delays due to COVID, the third film seems to be right on schedule. The films are loosely based on the 1980s show of the same name with Washington playing Robert McCall, a former U.S. Marine and DIA intelligence officer turned avenging angel and ass-kicker of the Russian mob.

If Fuqua returns to direct, "The Equalizer 3" will be the fifth film collaboration between the duo after the previous two "Equalizer" films, "The Magnificent Seven," and the masterful "Training Day," which earned Washington the Academy Award for Best Actor. What's also interesting is that "The Equalizer" has since been rebooted as a series starring Queen Latifah since the second film installment. It's likely that the series and film trilogy will continue to exist independently of one another, but the cross-over possibilities are fascinating. Latifah and Washington co-starred in 1999's "The Bone Collector," so we already know for sure the two have great on-screen chemistry. Giving them the opportunity to both enact vigilante justice sounds like a recipe for success.

During a 2018 interview after the release of "The Equalizer 2," Fuqua admitted he'd already been thinking about possibilities for a third film. Mostly, he wants to take McCall overseas and have him bring some violent, vigilante international justice. I've got my fingers crossed for Italy. Do I have a reason other than it being my family's homeland and wanting Denzel Washington to shake things up? Nope! I just think it would be neat, especially if he brings some of that borderline slasher movie energy from the second installment.