Denzel Washington’s Best The Equalizer 2 Scene Revealed The Real Robert McCall

The Equalizer 2 continues to present Robert McCall as a mysterious figure, but one moment in the sequel gives the best glimpse at who Denzel Washington’s formidable hero really is. Well into his legendary career in movies, The Equalizer 2 delivered the first-ever sequel for Washington. It is not surprising that a second installment was pushed for as 2014’s The Equalizer earned close to $200 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo).

The sequel delivered more of what fans loved about the first movie as retired DIA officer Robert McCall used his considered skills to help everyday people who had been taken advantage of or wronged and were not in a position to get the justice they deserved. While the main plot of the movie revolves around McCall getting revenge for the murder of his friend, one of the subplots involves his relationship with a young man from his neighborhood, Miles (Ashton Sanders), and it is within this relationship that audiences get the best glimpse at the real Robert McCall.

When The Equalizer 2 Reveals The Real Robert McCall

McCall Saving Miles Is A Highlight Of The Sequel

When Robert McCall meets Miles in The Equalizer 2, the young teen is a talented artist who is also involved in a local street gang, much to McCall’s dismay. His desire to protect and educate the young man leads to him storming into the gang’s headquarters and escorting Miles out at gunpoint just as he was being pressured to kill a member of a rival gang. While Miles is not appreciative at first, McCall doesn’t let up in teaching the boy a lesson.

After pressuring Miles to kill McCall and thus earn his place in the gang, McCall puts a gun to Miles’ head to hammer home the danger of living in such a world. While McCall is usually stoic and reserved, especially in dangerous situations, we see his emotions crack a little, and he briefly loses control as he shouts at Miles, “You have no idea what death is!” However, in the end, McCall encourages Miles to pursue his love of art rather than going down this violent path.

Miles is shaken by the second chance McCall has given him and the lengths he has gone to in order to help him, asking, “Why me?” Without hesitation, McCall answers, “Why not you?“ It is a question that Miles has clearly never asked himself before, and he needed someone who looked at him and saw potential to make him see that he could be worth something more than his environment suggests he is destined for.

“Why Not You?” Is One Of Denzel Washington’s Best Moments In Any Equalizer Movie

Washington Elevates The Equalizer Movies With His Performance

While the fight scenes in The Equalizer movies are often looked at as the star of the show, this moment between McCall and Miles in The Equalizer 2 is one of the franchise’s best and a time that allows Denzel Washington to shine. Two aspects that make McCall such an exciting hero are his brutality towards villains and his compassion towards the innocent. However, this moment sees McCall operating somewhere in the middle as he sees Miles as a special case.

McCall is aggressive with Miles at this moment because he knows that the young man could very well head down a violent path and become one more of the remorseless killers that McCall despises. However, he also sees the potential in Miles and wants to give him an opportunity to choose something better for himself. In the countless instances of McCall saving people, he is giving Miles the chance to save himself.

This moment in The Equalizer 2 is a reminder of how much an action movie can be elevated by having an actor of his caliber in the lead role.

The moment also gives a glimpse into why McCall chooses the people he protects. There are various scenes of McCall having small run-ins and encounters with strangers, learning about their struggles, and doing what he can to help them. It is because he is a quick and accurate judge of character. In the case of Miles, he sees things in the young man that Miles doesn’t even see in himself. Miles asking “Why me?” shows he doesn’t even consider himself worth the effort, but McCall’s moving response of “Why not you?” challenges him to think more highly of himself.

While it is a lot of fun seeing Denzel Washington as an action hero, this moment in The Equalizer 2 is a reminder of how much an action movie can be elevated by having an actor of his caliber in the lead role. Washington gives an intense and authentic performance that shows layers of this character who hides so much under the surface. This brief line of encouragement to a young man makes McCall even more heroic than he had already seemed.