Denzel Washington has hinted at retirement following the release of “Gladiator II” this November. While speaking with Empire for the magazine’s special issue built around the film, Washington, now 69 years old, noted, “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley.”

“We had a great go-round the first go-round [on ‘American Gangster’], and here we are,” he added, shouting out his 2007 collaboration with Scott. The director is “engaged” and “excited about life,” Washington said, showing a bit of excitement for himself about the idea of working into your golden years. “We should all want to feel like that at 86.”

His comments have led both media and social media users to speculate about when Washington may choose to leave acting behind. It’s a notable comment from an actor...