He's back! Robert McCall hasn't finished the job yet. News broke that we'd be getting a third movie with Denzel Washington as Robert McCall and now CinemaCon has brought us our first look into The Equalizer 3 after all these years. Starting back in 2014, the series has branched into two movies as well as a hit television show starring Queen Latifah where she played Robin McCall. All this has been building a world of The Equalizer that fans clearly love to explore. And now, we're getting a third installment to the franchise and the brand-new trailer gives a taste of what's on the horizon for the film.
The last film came out in 2018 which featured Pedro Pascal as Dave York, the previous film had David Harbour as Masters, and while we don't know much about the third film, it does seem that Dakota Fanning is joining Washington in the third movie, making it an unofficial sequel to Man on Fire (which is a different film entirely, but this is a reunion for the two actors). What's so great about this news and the footage shown is that we're gifted with more of Washington in the one franchise he's ever done.
Yes, The Equalizer also comes from a television show that first aired in the 80s, but it has since become synonymous with Washington's take on the role. And the footage shown to CinemaCon showed Robert in Italy seemingly having retired from equalizing but still as violent as he ever was before. The trailer expands on that footage, providing an even better look at what may be the final chapter in the franchise.
Dakota, Denzel, and More
While action-star Washington is enough of a draw, seeing both Washington and Fanning back together after all these years is exciting too. Man on Fire came out back in 2004, when Fanning was around 10 years old. And it has remained a staple of Washington and Fanning's careers that fans continue to come back to. So seeing them reunite for a third movie in The Equalizer franchise just has that extra bit of excitement for fans of this franchise as a whole. And it's good that the film is seemingly just as violent as ever.
Remember, The Equalizer 2 included Pascal's Dave York getting his eyes poked out just like Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. It was incredibly violent (and triggering for Oberyn fans). While the first movie was a Harbour/Washington adventure and the second movie was Pascal vs. Washington, the third movie does seem to be pulling us in with the nostalgia of Fanning and Washington back together, and honestly? That's enough to get us excited.
The Equalizer 3 is in theaters on September 1, 2023. Watch the brand-new trailer down below: