A best picture winner like Moonlight tends to open doors for all involved, and this latest piece of casting news can attest to that fact. After his appearance in Barry Jenkins' indie success story from last year, actor Ashton Sanders has found himself landing a role that's vital to the plot of The Equalizer 2. That role being the protege of sorts to Denzel Washington's anti-hero, Robert McCall.
Not much else is known about Sanders' role in the Antoine Fuqua-directed sequel to the 2014 sleeper hit, except that he seems to be filling the void left by Chloe Grace Moretz after The Equalizer's conclusion. His inclusion in the film comes after the news that not only will Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo return for another round in their respective roles, but that Narcos and Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal will be entering the fray as the villain of The Equalizer 2.
If we were to venture a guess, we'd guess that Ashton Sanders' character is someone that will not only look up to Washington's vigilante for hire, but will also study under him in the ways of urban warfare. All of this, naturally, will lead up to a huge showdown much like at the end of The Equalizer, except that Denzel Washington's McCall will find himself in need of assistance that only his young friend can provide. At least, that's what we'd expect with director Antoine Fuqua coming back to bring The Equalizer 2 into theaters, as he most certainly will want to up the action and the thrills in this second entry to a burgeoning franchise.
As stated before, courtesy of Deadline's item, Ashton Sanders is best known for his role in Moonlight, in which he had starred as the teenage incarnation of Chiron, the protagonist of the film's narrative. With the depth of Sanders' performance helping deliver the knockout blow that Barry Jenkins' film turned out to be, it's no surprise that he's landing parts in big ticket blockbusters like The Equalizer 2. Of course, this isn't Ashton Sanders' first film since his brush with Oscar gold, as he also has the sci-fi film Captive State on board for release just about a month before The Equalizer 2 makes its bow.
Between those two films, Sanders may have just kept his career going for quite a while. We'll find out soon enough when Captive State hits theaters in August 2018, while The Equalizer 2 is set for a September 18, 2018 release date.

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