It looks like The Equalizer may be getting a spin-off and we could meet the characters soon!
The Equalizer has had several incarnations. It began as a CBS series in 1985 with Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a retired spy with a mysterious past who hires himself out to help those in need. He usually specialized in people ignored by the police to find justice on his own terms. The show was a good success, running for four seasons.
The property found bigger fame with a 2014 movie starring Denzel Washington as McCall, which became a huge hit. Sequels would follow in 2018 and 2023 to mark one of Washington’s better franchises.
Queen Latifah is Robyn McCall in The Equalizer on CBS
In 2021, CBS turned its eye to a revival with former rapper Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, a former black ops operative now trying to live a quiet life in New York. It added elements with Robyn working with former CIA pals Harry (Adam Goldberg) and Mel (Liza Lapira) as she finds herself working to help those in need.
The show has other touches, such as Robyn’s teenage daughter Delilah and her aunt Vi. There’s also Marcus Dante (Tory Kittles), an NYPD detective who first hunts this mysterious vigilante but, by season 2, has become Robyn’s ally. Further touches have included Delilah finding out about her mother’s past and wanting to help and Robyn and Dante getting into a romance.
Now in its fifth season, the show remains a big hit for CBS. So much so that it looks like they’re working on a spinoff that could be getting an intro soon!
What’s happening with The Equalizer spinoff?
Per Deadline, CBS is planning a possible spinoff with an upcoming Season 5 episode acting as a “backdoor pilot.” That’s a standard for the industry where characters are introduced in a main series to gauge their spin-off potential.
According to Deadline, the so far unnamed characters are “a skilled younger female martial artist, weapons expert and criminologist with a secret origin story who turns to McCall (Queen Latifah) for help, and an older male former top CIA operative.” It looks like the spinoff might approach the idea of a younger woman inspired by McCall to take on her own missions with that former CIA operative as her aide.
The characters are set to debut in Episode 16, which should air in the spring of 2025. While CBS isn’t formally calling this a backdoor pilot, it seems clear they hope for the characters to blossom well working with McCall. A good example is how Fire Country introduced Morena Baccarin as a new sheriff to set up her planned 2025 spin-off Sheriff Country.
There’s also the possibility that CBS may want a spin-off just in case they decide to end The Equalizer after Season 5. While the show is still a ratings success, its budget (especially for the cast salaries) can be a bit high even as CBS seems to want to keep it on. A spin-off could be a better way to continue the show’s legacy.
Casting is underway as it’s unclear if the show will go for an already-established TV star in the lead or a fresh face. Either way, it seems The Equalizer may be joining CBS’s list of new crime-themed franchises, which offers a lot more action to come.
The Equalizer Season 5 airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.