The Role Denzel Washington Loved—and Hollywood Let Die Without Warning

Denzel Washington, one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, has built an impressive career playing a range of memorable characters. Known for his dynamic range and intense screen presence, he has brought to life roles in both action-packed thrillers and powerful dramas. However, in his long career, Washington has expressed frustration at one particular role that he felt should have spawned more sequels—one that he never got to revisit despite the potential for a franchise. That role? Ezekiel ‘Easy’ Rawlins from Devil in a Blue Dress.

A Missed Franchise Opportunity

Washington’s first brush with the potential for a long-running film series came in 1995, when he played Ezekiel ‘Easy’ Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress. The movie was based on the first of Walter Mosley’s 16-book series, which followed Rawlins, a World War II veteran turned private investigator in post-war Los Angeles. The film was critically well-received, and Washington’s portrayal of the complicated, hard-edged character earned him widespread praise. However, despite the positive reviews, the film didn’t perform well at the box office, barely covering its budget. This lack of financial success nixed any plans for a sequel, despite the richness of the character and the potential for more stories to tell.

Another Detective, Another Missed Opportunity

Fast forward to 1999, and Washington found himself in another detective role, this time as Lincoln Rhyme in The Bone Collector. Based on Jeffrey Deaver’s series of novels, Rhyme is a quadriplegic detective who relies on his partner, rookie officer Amelia Sachs, to help him solve grisly crimes. The movie grossed a solid $151 million at the global box office, which typically would guarantee a sequel. Yet, despite the financial success, a sequel never came to fruition. The Bone Collector remains the only adaptation of Deaver’s 16 Rhyme novels, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.

The Creasy Franchise That Never Was

In 2004, Washington took on yet another character with the potential for a franchise: Marcus Creasy, a former CIA operative turned bodyguard in Man on Fire. The character, from the novels by A.J. Quinnell, goes on a vengeful rampage across Mexico City to rescue a kidnapped girl. However, much to Washington’s surprise, the character dies at the end of the film after rescuing the girl, ‘Pita’ Ramos. Washington didn’t know that there were more books in the Creasy series at the time, and he admitted to Phase 9 in an interview that he only discovered this fact after filming Man on Fire. He humorously expressed his frustration by saying, “I honestly did not know about those other books, so thank you for that. I saw The Bourne Supremacy the other day and it pissed me off! He has a nice little franchise going there. Maybe I could do another one of these Creasy stories. We can just say that he fell asleep at the end of this one.”

It’s amusing to think of Washington’s irritation as he sat in a theater, watching Matt Damon’s Bourne franchise take off, knowing that he missed out on what could have been a similar series for himself. The character of Creasy had the potential for a compelling, multi-film arc, but unfortunately, Washington’s role was limited to just one movie.

From Frustration to The Equalizer

The frustration of missing out on potential sequels and franchises might have played a part in Washington’s decision to take on the role of Robert McCall in The Equalizer (2014). McCall, a retired marine and former DIA operative, becomes a vigilante who takes justice into his own hands. With the film’s $190 million box office haul, Washington quickly embraced the character, saying, “This is my guy,” and signed on for two sequels, The Equalizer 2 (2018) and The Equalizer 3 (2023).

Interestingly, fans have noticed similarities between McCall and Washington’s earlier Man on Fire character, Marcus Creasy. The similarities are so apparent that The Equalizer 3 even featured a reunion between Washington and Dakota Fanning, his co-star from Man on Fire. Although the two played different characters, director Antoine Fuqua admitted, “I’ve thought about it that way. You know, when Dakota said she was interested, I thought, ‘Ah yeah! This is Man on Fire, but years later – and this is what he’s doing.’”

Conclusion: A Legacy of Missed Chances and New Beginnings

While Washington has had a career filled with iconic roles, the missed opportunities of Devil in a Blue Dress, The Bone Collector, and Man on Fire have clearly left a mark. His frustration with not getting the chance to revisit these characters is understandable, as they all had the potential to become long-running franchises. Still, in the end, Washington’s legacy remains intact, and with The Equalizer series, he has found another role that speaks to his penchant for playing vengeful, justice-driven characters.

For fans of Denzel Washington, the question remains: what could have been with those other characters? While we may never see Ezekiel Rawlins, Lincoln Rhyme, or Marcus Creasy again, it’s clear that Washington’s ability to bring intensity and depth to any role ensures that his career remains as relevant and respected as ever.