The Equalizer 3 Ending Explained
The ending of The Equalizer 3 is an interesting ending for Denzel Washington’s McCall, and a fourth film isn’t ruled out. The third tie begins with former DIA employee Robert McCall wounded after destroying a mob base in Sicily. He is soon taken in by the locals of a coastal village called Altamonte, who treat him as one of their own until he recovers. Unfortunately, the villagers are under threat from the mafia group “Camorra”. A subplot also sees McCall aiding CIA agent Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning), giving her information about designer drugs that were being shipped from the mob base he raided. It turns out The Camorra themselves are in league with terrorists, and after McCall kills the brother of mafia chief Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio), the two men are set for a final showdown. In the end, McCall kills Vincent and his men in a violent home invasion, an injured Collins gets a promotion and McCall appears to have finally found peace as he decides to stay in the village.
Is Denzel Washington’s Robert McCall Really Retired?
A big theme of Equalizer 3 is the idea of people landing where they should be, and by the end of the third entry McCall seems to have found his place. The sequel presents a darker take on the character, who still seems reeling from the death of her best friend Susan (Melissa Leo) and betrayal by her former colleagues in her second film. McCall is more sadistic and brutal in the way he takes down his enemies, and seems meant to inflict pain first. But when the village took him in and treated him kindly, he regained his humanity. After murdering Vincent, he returned to Altamonte and was last seen attending a village celebration with a smile. McCall, who just gave Collins the Black Book, seems to have really given up on his life as a vigilante. The ending of The Equalizer 3 doesn’t suggest another sequel, and if it’s really the finale, it’s a good note to keep the characters.
Why McCall Committed The Equalizer 3’s Opening Massacre
The beginning of Threequel feels like some kind of slasher movie, about a mafia boss returning home to his vineyards and discovering the corpses of his men scattered throughout the house. The remaining minions confront McCall in the basement, but of course McCall easily outdoes them and kills them all. Before that, McCall hints that he is there because they took something that wasn’t theirs, after which he is seen carrying a mysterious backpack. Only in the final scene does he reveal his inner life to Collins. McCall explains that this mob stronghold also took part in cybercrime and that they stole the pension of a retired man in Boston. McCall gave this stranger a ride in a Lyft one time – a nod to his Equalizer 2 side gig – and he came to Italy with the sole intent of giving the man his $360,000 back. Collins doesn’t understand why McCall would go to such lengths to help a total stranger, but when she later hands over the bag and watches the joy the recovered money brings to the man and his wife, she gets it.
What The Camorra Want With The Village
Equalizer 3 doesn’t add much depth to its antagonists, portraying them as almost cartoonish evils. Her various crimes include hanging her old man from a window and then amputating her men’s hands. They collect protection money from Altamonte’s many businesses, but Vincent has bigger plans for this little piece of paradise. He wants to build resorts and casinos for tourists and relocate the population. Given how kind people have been to him, McCall swears that won’t happen.
The “Jihad Drug” Explained
In another major subplot of Equalizer 3, Collins investigates a shipment of drugs shipped from wine bottles at a winery that McCall has raided. This is amphetamine, called the “holy war drug”, sold by Syrian terrorists to fund their operations. Of course, it turns out Camorra buys drugs and directly finances terrorism, which is why McCall gets the CIA involved. McCall gives Vincent a taste of his medicine and forces him to take a lethal dose. He then enters the village with the fleeing Camorra chief and waits until he dies of an overdose.
Collins Is Susan Plummer’s Daughter
Another lingering mystery running throughout the film is why McCall is helping a random CIA agent. He and Collins form a nice bond, but he always avoids answering why he contacted her. The final scene in Collins’ office – following her recovery from a car bomb planted by the Camorra that nearly killed her – answers this question. She finds that McCall has gifted her his black book with a message stating her mother would be proud. Collins then looks at a graduation picture on her desk, revealing she’s the daughter of McCalls’ old friends Susan and Brian (Bill Pullman). In acting as something of a mentor to Collins and then imparting his little book of names and secrets, he’s setting her on a path toward becoming a great agent like Susan was. It’s another sign that McCall himself is ready to hang up his equalizing ways and retire too.
Is The Equalizer 4 Possible?
The third installment in the Equalizer series will be the final installment. Director Antoine Fuqua has hinted that The Equalizer 4 could star John David, the son of McCall and Denzel, who are now in the digital age, but it’s unclear who else will be in the film. Some have speculated that McCall himself will die on his third appearance, but that’s not the case. Instead, The Equalizer 3 very much serves as an ending – but it doesn’t negate a fourth entry at all. Another sequel could simply pick up with McCall on another mission of vengeance, and simply explain that retirement didn’t suit him. Now that Collins has been established as his new ally, she could also come to him for help on an operation that needs his unconventional methods. Another film isn’t guaranteed, but if part three performs well and Denzel is willing, there’s no reason The Equalizer 4 can’t happen.