The poster and first images for The Equalizer 2 were released today, and Denzel Washington has his eyes on you.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, 2014’s The Equalizer stars Washington as Robert “Bob” McCall, a retired Black Ops agent and widower who’s not ready to call it quits. When he discovers that a young friend works as a prostitute for the Russian mafia, McCall seeks justice, and he’s less than forgiving with his enemies. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, The Equalizer made over $192 million at the box office, nearly tripling its $72 million budget. After previously collaborating on the Oscar-winning 2001 film Training Day, Fuqua and Washington once again pleased die-hard actions fans with the gritty vigilante film The Equalizer.

Today, Fandango tweeted new posters and images for The Equalizer 2 ahead of the film’s trailer release tomorrow. The poster features a close-up visual of its star, complete with the tagline “There Is No Equal” and a menacing look from Washington. The image also lists July 20 as the release date, along with a shortened version of the title: EQ2. In the same thread, Fandango posted first look stills of Fuqua and the movie’s stars, along with some clever lines to strengthen the hype. As for Denzel, the new shots accentuate Bob McCall’s personal aesthetic: a smirk, a gun, and some practical clothing.


On Twitter, you won’t find Washington tweeting about The Equalizer 2, though fans of the original film are clearly excited for the upcoming sequel. Last August, it was announced that Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo would reprise their roles, and the latter appears in one of the new stills. Also last August, Pedro Pascal was announced as The Equalizer 2’s villain. On HBO’s Game of Thrones, Pascal portrayed Oberyn Martell, the ill-fated prince from Season 4, and he recently starred as Javier Peña in all 30 episodes of Netflix’s Pablo Escobar series, Narcos. The Equalizer 2’s screenplay was written by Richard Wenk, known for his work on Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) and The Magnificent Seven (2016), the latter of which teamed up Fuqua and Washington once again post-The Equalizer.

So, what are your expectations for The Equalizer 2? Do you prefer the old school vigilante approach, or would you like to see some “elevated horror”? The original formula worked perfectly fine, of course, but there seems to be extra potential given Washington’s immense acting abilities and the narrative’s inherent existentialism. Tomorrow, the new trailer will provide some answers, and we’ll get the full story this summer.

KEY RELEASE DATES
The Equalizer 2 release date: Jul 20, 2018