Denzel Washington took on the role of Robert McCall in the Equalizer franchise in his 50s and 60s, defying typical action hero age expectations. The Equalizer introduced Washington's version of McCall, a retired intelligence officer who becomes a vigilante after saving a teenager trafficked by the Russian mafia. The Equalizer 2 had Washington reprising his role as McCall, who searches for the murderer of a former colleague while juggling his secret vigilante persona with his job as a Lyft driver.

Given how old Denzel Washington was in The Equalizer movies, it makes his role as the action hero all the more impressive. The films are based on the 1980s television show of the same title, which starred Edward Woodward as Robert McCall and ran for four seasons on CBS. Washington took over the role of McCall in the trilogy and put his own spin on the character, resulting in a successful franchise.