Created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim, The Equalizer is a popular spy thriller franchise that began on the small screen in 1985 before ending its 4-season run on CBS in 1989. The series follows Robert McCall (Edward Woodward), a former intelligence officer with a cryptic past who uses his former stealth and combat skills to serve swift justice to high-ranking criminals while protecting the innocent.

25 years after the original TV show ended, The Equalizer franchise was rebooted as a movie trilogy starring Denzel Washington as McCall. In 2021, The Equalizer returned to television and is set to conclude its 4th Season finale on May 19, 2024. Based on McCall's rich multimedia history, fans have wondered if The Equalizer is based on a true story or simply a Hollywood fabrication. With the 21st-century TV reboot nearing its fourth season conclusion, here's everything to know about the authenticity of The Equalizer.

What Is The Equalizer About?

Produced by Universal Television for CBS, The Equalizer ran on television for four seasons and 88 episodes from 1985 to 1989. The plot concerns Robert McCall (Woodward), a mysterious former British intelligence operative who works as a cleaner to get innocent people out of danger. Equal parts James Bond and Dirty Harry, McCall exacts swift vigilante justice using stealth tactics and expert hand-to-hand fighting skills. The show was nominated for 7 Primetime Emmy Awards and won a Golden Globe in 1987 for Woodward's performance.

25 years later, The Equalizer was adapted as a violent action movie trilogy directed by Antonie Fuqua and produced by Sony Pictures. The Training Day director reunites with Denzel Washington to give McCall a more spiritual and reflective outlook later in life. Less James Bond and more of a Dirty Harry/John Wick hybrid with a zen-like Buddhist philosophy, McCall often works alone to avenge Russian gangsters, Italian mobsters, and other criminals who endanger innocent people.

The Evolution of The Equalizer

The movie trilogy ran from 2014 to 2023, giving way to the rebooted TV show in 2021 starring Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall. In 2014, Michael Sloan began publishing novelizations that serve as contemporary retellings of the original TV series. Much of the action follows McCall leaving The Agency aka The Company, before setting up a private investigation firm in New York. The novels feature characters from the original TV show, leading to some confusion among fans about the inspiration of the franchise writ large. Sloan has written three published Equalizer novels between 2014 and 2020.

Not to bury the lead, but on the whole, The Equalizer is not based on a true story. Nor is it based on preexisting source novels. After conceiving the premise of The Equalizer with Lindheim, Sloan wrote the books 20 years after the original TV show aired. The original premise was meant to capitalize on the cultural craze over spy fiction, including James Bond, Mission: Impossible, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The Equalizer 3 Is Inspired by Real Events

The Equalizer 3 finds Robert McCall in Italy, where he discovers his friends are under the control of the local mafia. So, of course, he must take them down. The mafia family in question is called the Camorra family, named after a real Italian mafia family. While McCall and his own actions are evidently fictional, the representation of the Camorras and their dealings is surprisingly true to life.

For example, in real life, the Italian government seized over 80 million pills from a shipment for the Camorra family, and this closely mirrors the plot of The Equalizer 3. Moreover, the intricacies of how the family operates with recruitment, threats, terrorism, and corruption are also accurately drawn in the movie. So, while The Equalizer on the whole is not usually based on true stories, here, the fictional escapades of McCall resemble real mafia activity. However, whether the franchise decides to continue leaning into real-world events remains to be seen...

What the Future Holds for The Equalizer

Season 4 of The Equalizer is slated to conclude on CBS on May 19, 2024. The latest season of the popular spy TV show has witnessed McCall take on everything from hit-and-runs and casino hostages to CIA intervention in Venezuela to poisoned MSS agents. Although The Equalizer is not based on a true story, the Season 4 finale involves McCall rescuing Marcus (Tory Kittles) and Big Ben (Danny Johnson) from a vicious ambush.

Although the Season 4 finale is set to air on May 19, 2024, CBS has renewed The Equalizer for a fifth season (as per Variety). The Season 5 plot details are unknown, but a potential crossover between the movie and the TV series remains possible. In 2021, showrunner Andrew Marlowe told Decider that, while the TV series was designed to stand on its own merits, a franchise mash-up could occur one day. According to Marlowe:

"We are here creating our own universe. Is there a potential that there could be a crossover universe in the future? We certainly haven’t ruled that out. But for us it really is about building this show and identity around Robyn McCall and being very specific to a show where Queen is really embodying the heart of it.”

Co-creator and executive producer Terri Edda Miller noted the different tones in the TV and movie versions of The Equalizer, adding:

"I also think the movie franchise is a lot darker. It is grim. It is bloody in that very visceral way. And it was important for all of us approaching this that this show have warmth to it. Robyn represents all women. Striking a balance between career and family and themselves and the world. That’s why we love being at CBS because it’s very much a network show. It was a good fit from the very beginning… I think they can both live in the same universe very comfortably in their own lanes.”

While The Equalizer is not based on a true story, the multimedia spy franchise remains popular among movie and TV fans. The Equalizer 4 is being developed by Sony, although Washington is reportedly not returning to the thriller to play Robert McCall for a fourth time (via ScreenRant).

The Equalizer (2014) & The Equalizer 3 (2023) are available to stream on Netflix.

The Equalizer 2 (2018) is available to stream on Hulu.

The Equalizer (2021-) is available to stream on Paramount+.