Denzel Washington is a major star in Hollywood, best known for his powerful performances in biographical films like Malcolm X. Over the past twenty years, he’s also proven himself in action roles, notably with The Equalizer franchise, which was critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and has already led to multiple sequels, with another potentially in development. Currently, both The Equalizer films are popular on Paramount+.
Denzel Washington’s involvement often signals a movie is worth watching, and The Equalizer is no exception. He plays Robert McCall, a skilled former Marine and intelligence officer who comes out of retirement to defend the vulnerable. The character originally appeared in a popular 1980s television series.
Released in 2014, The Equalizer was directed by Antoine Fuqua, known for his 2001 hit Training Day. Denzel Washington starred alongside Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, and Marton Csokas. The first movie’s story is about:
Robert McCall, a man with a hidden past, is trying to live a peaceful life. But when he meets Teri, a young woman hurt by dangerous Russian gangsters, he feels compelled to help. Using his unique and powerful abilities, McCall comes out of hiding to become a protector, determined to punish those who prey on the vulnerable.
The movie The Equalizer quickly found an audience, boosted by the popularity of Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua. It earned $192 million worldwide on a budget of just $55 million. Critics and audiences generally liked it too, giving it scores of 61% and 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. Given this success, a sequel was released four years later.
‘The Equalizer 2’ Was a Lesser Sequel for Many Fans
Sony
Bringing Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua back together for The Equalizer 2 initially promised to expand on the first film’s success. While the sequel did attract the same audience and earned a similar $190 million at the box office, its higher production cost of about $62 million meant it wasn’t as financially successful as the original.
Unlike the highly praised The Equalizer, this film received a mixed response, earning a 52% rating from critics and 62% from audiences. The story centers around McCall seeking revenge for the murder of his close friend and former coworker, Susan Plummer, which leads to a dangerous conflict with a team of assassins determined to eliminate him.
The biggest problem with The Equalizer 2 was that it fell into familiar vigilante thriller tropes, and even Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua couldn’t fully prevent it from feeling like a retread of old ideas. So it was surprising when The Equalizer 3 arrived in 2023 and matched the previous film’s $190 million box office, but with a remarkably high 94% audience approval rating, suggesting the series still has potential.
Currently, people are revisiting the earlier films starring Denzel Washington as McCall, boosting the first two movies to the sixth and seventh positions on Paramount+. The third film is also likely to climb the charts soon.
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2025-12-04 15:32