The Equalizer 3's Director Has Some Ideas Who Denzel Washington Should Reteam With Next After Dakota Fanning

Purposefully or not, Antoine Fuqua has done a nice job in recent years reteaming Denzel Washington with some of his best co-stars of the past. In 2016, the director reunited Washington and Ethan Hawke in The Magnificent Seven, the two actors having previously done phenomenal work together in Fuqua’s 2001 film Training Day, and now The Equalizer 3 is arriving in theaters with the two-time Oscar winner working opposite Man On Fire’s Dakota Fanning for the second time.

So who should be next? Fuqua has a couple ideas.

I interviewed the filmmaker earlier this month during the virtual press day for The Equalizer 3, and it was after discussing his take on the future of the franchise that I asked about more Denzel Washington collaborations he would like to orchestrate. After some thought, the director not only pitched one of Washington’s co-stars from The Magnificent Seven, but also another performer who he’d like to see work opposite the Tragedy Of Macbeth star for the first time. Said Fuqua,

Not that I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there's somebody out there... you know, Vincent D’Onofrio. I love Vincent D’Onofrio. Those two are really interesting. I would actually like to see Denzel do a film [with him]. I didn't get to work with him yet, unfortunately, I tried at one point with Benicio del Toro. I think that would be fun to watch.

With their trademark on-screen energies, Denzel Washington and Benicio del Toro could be incredible together in the right project – and it actually seems somewhat crazy that they’ve never collaborated together just because of their overlapping decades of work in the industry. As for Vincent D’Onofrio, he and Washington had the chance to share some scenes as part of the titular team in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven, and it seems the filmmaker would like to see even more of the two actors in front of a camera together.

Putting my own two cents out there, my suggestion to Antoine Fuqua was reuniting Denzel Washington with Don Cheadle – the two actors having previously done some of the best work of their respective careers together in director Carl Franklin’s fantastic neo-noir mystery Devil In A Blue Dress. It was an idea met with enthusiasm by Fuqua, who responded,

Oh yeah, Don, right! Oh, they're brilliant together. They're brilliant together. Yeah, that's true.

While we wait to see who Denzel Washington may reteam with next – be it Vincent D’Onofrio, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts, or Morgan Freeman – fans everywhere will be able to see the star back in action with Dakota Fanning tomorrow, as The Equalizer 3 arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with Antoine Fuqua, and get a look ahead at all the films arriving in theaters in what remains of the year with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.