Fans ofThe Equalizerhave had some good news in the last few days, with confirmations that both the Denzel Washington movie franchise will be continuing with two new sequels, and the CBS series starringQueen Latifahpotentially getting new spinoff shows. NowNetflixhas joined the party, as the series will be joining the streamer’s global library, bringing the series to a wider audience, and potentially securing its future in the process.
The series, which premiered in 2021, is a reimagining of the 1980s show of the same name, which also formed the basis of Washington’s three movies as Robert McCall. In the series version, Queen Latifah takes on the role of Robyn McCall, a former CIA operative helping those who need an “equalizer” in their lives. The character has her own personal struggles as a single parent to cope with as she takes on bad guys with the same vigilante approach that Edward Woodward took four decades ago.
The decision to bringThe Equalizerto Netflix reflects a growing trend of network shows being licensed out to streamers in a quid pro quo arrangement. The network gains a larger audience for some of their most popular shows, while streamers can satiate the endless appetite for new content with some new, multi-season shows ready to go. Netflix has previously seen shows like Lost andSuits become hugely popularmany years after they originally aired on network television channels. WhileThe Equalizerscored a huge debut back in 2021, viewership has been dwindling over the last few years, meaning a strong performance on Netflix could end up being make or break for its continuation beyond the current fifth season.
The Equalizer Continues to Be Popular
While the original series ofThe Equalizerran for four seasons between 1985 and 1989, it would have been impossible to imagine that over three decades on, the franchise would have not one, but two versions thrilling audiences on both the big and small screen. Denzel Washington first played Robert McCall in 2017’s theatrical release, which proved successful enough to spawn two sequels, withThe Equalizer 3being released in 2023 and seemingly ending the trilogy. However,Washington recently revealed that he will be back as McCall in two more sequels. He said earlier this week:
“I told them I would do another Equalizer, and we’re doing four and five. More people are happy about that—people love those daggone Equalizers, but I’ve come to realize that the Equalizer films are for me, too, because they’re for the people. They want me to go get the bad guys. ‘We can’t get them, so you go get them.’ And I say, Okay, I’ll get them! Just wait right there. I’ll be right back!”
Denzel Washington’s Hit Action Thriller Breaks into Netflix Global Chart for 10th Anniversary
Nearly 10 years after The Equalizer began its theatrical release, Denzel Washington’s action film has shockingly cracked Netflix’s Global Top 10.
While this is exciting news for the movie arm ofThe Equalizer, it came at the same time it was reported that the TV version will next year add new characters to the series with the idea of spinning them out into their own shows if they prove popular enough. The new characters will get their backdoor pilot style first appearance in the spring.
While onlythe first three seasons of the show will be coming to Netflix on December 16, with 46 episodes between them, there is plenty for fans to binge on. In the meantime,Season 5 is currently ongoing on CBS, with new episodes premiering on Sundays at 9p.m. ET.
The Equalizer
