Denzel Washington is ready to dish out his own brand of justice once again in The Equalizer 3, what is being billed as the final chapter in the Oscar-winner's action franchise. Like Liam Neeson in Taken and Keanu Reeves in John Wick, Washington is here to prove that when it comes to kicking butt on the big screen, age is just a number.
The Equalizer movies — not to be confused with The Equalizer TV show that airs on CBS and stars Queen Latifah — hail from Antoine Fuqua and have been solid hits at the box office, each grossing more than $100 million in the US and nearly $200 million globally. With a holiday weekend release date and featuring a fun reunion between Washington and Dakota Fanning, The Equalizer 3 looks to continue the franchise's success.
Here is everything that we know about The Equalizer 3 right now.
The Equalizer 3 release date
The Equalizer 3 is set to close out the 2023 blockbuster season, premiering exclusively in US and UK movie theaters on September 1. Here is what you need to know about how to watch The Equalizer 3.
The Equalizer 3 plot
After dealing out his own brand of justice in the first two Equalizer movies, Washington's Robert McCall is looking for some peace, but that may be more difficult than he thinks. Here is the official synopsis for The Equalizer 3:
"Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he's done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia."
The Equalizer 3 cast
Denzel Washington is once again bringing the pain as Robert McCall, the former government assassin turned one-man wrecking crew for the oppressed. This is the third time that Washington plays McCall, the only character in his career he has played more than once onscreen. Outside of The Equalizer, Washington is known for his roles in Glory, Malcolm X, Philadelphia, He Got Game, Remember the Titans, Training Day and, most recently, The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Washington also starred in the movie Man on Fire, which is related because The Equalizer 3 sees him reunite with Dakota Fanning, his young co-star in that 2004 movie. Fanning's specific role in The Equalizer 3 is unknown, though based on the trailer below, she is playing someone that either is suspicious of McCall or is checking up on the former government asset. Fanning has been acting since she was a kid, with some of most well known roles including I Am Sam, War of the Worlds, Coraline, The Alienist and, most recently, The First Lady.
The only officially listed cast member for The Equalizer 3, per Sony, is David Denman. He broke out as Roy in The Office and has since gone on to star in 13 Hours, Mare of Easttown, Emancipation and the new movie Joy Ride.
The Equalizer 3 trailer
The first trailer for The Equalizer 3 debuted at the movie conference CinemaCon but is now available online. I think the lesson here is don’t think just because he’s on vacation that Robert McCall still won't kick your butt. Watch the trailer directly below:
A new teaser for The Equalizer 3 was also shared on Twitter (or X, whatever they're calling it these days):
Vengeance meets his equal. See Denzel Washington in #TheEqualizer3, exclusively in movie theaters September 1. pic.twitter.com/gsIoQrEdscJuly 25, 2023
The Equalizer 3 reviews
The Equalizer 3 is set to be the final movie for the Denzel Washington/Antoine Fuqua action franchise, it's a good thing too according to What to Watch's The Equalizer 3 review, which calls the movie tired and lacking much beyond Washington's performance.
However, other critics seem to be enjoying The Equalizer 3 a bit more. The movie has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 71% "Fresh" as of August 31.
Antoine Fuqua movies
Antoine Fuqua is directing The Equalizer 3, as he has done with the previous two movies. Fuqua and Washington have collaborated a number of times outside of The Equalizer franchise, including for Washington's Oscar-winning performance in Training Day and the western remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Fuqua got his start as a director of music videos, but here is the full slate of movies that he has directed:
- Bait (2000)
- Training Day (2001)
- Tears of the Sun (2003)
- Lightning in a Bottle (2004)
- King Arthur (2004)
- Shooter (2007)
- Brooklyn's Finest (2009)
- Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
- The Equalizer (2014)
- Southpaw (2015)
- The Magnificent Seven (2016)
- The Equalizer 2 (2018)
- What's My Name: Muhammad Ali (2019)
- Infinite (2021)
- The Guilty (2021)
- Emancipation (2022)
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Michael Balderston
Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.
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