In an industry obsessed with sequels and franchises, Equalizer 3: The Final Chapter demonstrates a refreshing honesty by confirming this is the final film with Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, rounding out the story perfectly. Of course, a prequel film or series could happen with someone else in the driver’s seat; however, this particular three-act story holds the potential to tell a well-rounded perfect tale with a clear beginning, middle, and end for its protagonist.
A major reason The Equalizer series is able to do this is due to the consistency behind the scenes. For nearly 10 years, the franchise has had Antoine Fuqua as the director and Richard Wenk as the screenwriter across the three films. Undoubtedly, this enables the team to be on the same page and share the same vision. Together, they have been able to shape Robert’s journey in a way that introduces, establishes, and sends off the character in the right way. Not many films have this luxury.
Robert McCall’s final chapter in The Equalizer 3
In the lead-up to the film, Antoine Fuqua reflected on Robert McCall’s character arc across the three films. In an interview with Screen Rant, he explained how he believes Richard Went wrote a good story and how they toyed with what to do with the character in the last movie already.
“We tracked his journey, which was finding his purpose, and in the second one, making peace with the past, and then you’re like, ‘Okay, where does he settle down when he’s finished?'” Fuqua said. “He does his final masterpiece of violence, of helping people and then he has a home, so that’s how that came about.”
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From a narrative perspective, it makes sense since Robert has done it all up to now. For him to continue to do the same thing he did in the first and second films is illogical and would minimise the impact of Robert’s actions. Instead, this approach allows him to find peace in the end, which is more than what he deserves after all he has been through.
Denzel Washington believes the sequels add something to the character
In the press tour for 2018’s The Equalizer 2, Denzel Washington admitted to Entertainment Weekly one of the reasons he keeps coming back to the role is the team he works with, including Antoine Fuqua and producer Todd Black. He also said that he returned for a sequel because there was a point to it; it wasn’t simply for the sake of it.
“The only reason is there is a reason,” he said. “Not just to go blow up some more stuff and run and jump around. There’s got to be some kind of story. The actor in me is hopeful there’s a good story.”
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Ultimately, this ties in with what Fuqua has said about Equalizer 3: The Final Chapter, as it serves a purpose in Robert McCall’s overall story. The character’s journey is reaching its destination, so it will be fascinating to see how he says goodbye to the audience.
