The Equalizer 3 helmer Antoine Fuqua hypes up the upcoming action thriller, starring Denzel Washington’s vigilante character.

The Equalizer 3 director Antoine Fuqua teases the anticipated action thriller starring Denzel Washington as the “final masterpiece of violence” for the eponymous franchise.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Fuqua believes the final installment of The Equalizer franchise will be a fitting end for Washington’s vigilante character, Robert McCall. Promising lots of gripping action and tense battles involving the no-nonsense protagonist, Fuqua insists the threequel will deliver on its high stakes, pointing to the quality of Richard Wenk’s screenplay when outlining what fans should expect.

“Richard Wenk wrote a great script. We talked a lot about it in Equalizer 2,” Fuqua said. “During breaks, we discussed these things, and it was really about finding a home for Robert McCall. 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?’ He does his final masterpiece of violence, of helping people, and then he has a home, so that’s how that came about.”

The Equalizer 3 sees McCall once again try to take down the Mafia on Italian turf, fighting on behalf of the oppressed after giving up his life as a government assassin. While living in southern Italy, the former U.S. marine and DIA officer meets some new friends who are controlled by Sicilian-based crime bosses, eventually going all out to protect them in their fight against the Mafia.

The Equalizer Is Denzel Washington’s Only Franchise

During Washington’s distinguished career, The Equalizer is the only movie franchise the Academy Award-winning actor has ever starred in, previously featuring in the 2014 original and 2018’s The Equalizer 2. The original entry was particularly well-received while earning over $192 million at the global box office on a budget between $55 and $73 million. Development on the third film was confirmed in January of last year.

Based on Edward Woodward’s classic CBS series, The Equalizer 3 is the ideal time for McCall to walk away, according to Fuqua. During an interview with Empire in July, he said, “Robert McCall, the working-man hero, at some point he’s got to walk away from it. At some point, someone else has to pick up the ball and serve justice. He’s served his justice. He’s in a foreign place, he’s trying to find a home, find a place in the world. That’s really what’s important.” Fuqua is best known for directing the classic crime thriller, Training Day, which won Washington an Oscar for Best Actor.

The Equalizer 3 also stars Dakota Fanning and David Denman, with the film set to be released by Sony Pictures. Meanwhile, Washington is also set to appear in Gladiator 2, the much-awaited sequel to the Academy Award-winning Gladiator, while Fuqua is working on a biopic chronicling the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson.

The Equalizer 3 opens in theaters on Sept. 1.