Denzel Washington Reveals Plans of Retirement

Denzel Washington has shared that he plans to retire from acting after completing a few more movies. He is widely recognized for memorable roles in films such as Malcolm X (1992), Training Day (2001), Man on Fire (2004), American Gangster (2007), and The Equalizer series. The 69-year-old actor’s next appearance will be in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, and he’s also working on a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, which will bring him together again with director Spike Lee.

In a recent interview with Today, Denzel Washington confirmed that he plans to retire from acting after finishing a few more projects. After Gladiator II, he shared that he’ll be taking on several famous Shakespeare roles and appearing in upcoming films directed by Steve McQueen and Ryan Coogler. Coogler, in particular, will feature Washington in Black Panther 3. See Washington’s full comment below;

I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. Probably not that many. I want to do things I haven’t done. I’ve played Othello at 22, I’m about to play Othello at 70. After that I’m playing Hannibal. After that I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. After that I’m going to do the film Othello. After that I’m going to do King Lear. After that I’m going to retire.

Denzel Washington is highly respected in the acting world and has won two Academy Awards. He has skillfully balanced between serious, award-caliber films and more entertaining, popular movies. His latest remarks hint that his upcoming projects will keep following this mix of styles.

High and Low, which Washington didn’t mention, is scheduled for release in spring 2025 and appears to be a classic thriller. He’ll also reunite with Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua for a film about the Carthaginian general Hannibal. Of all his upcoming projects, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3 seems to be the biggest, as it’s part of the popular MCU. His work with director Steve McQueen is still uncertain, though McQueen is known for making serious dramas.

This means Washington has just four major movies planned after Gladiator 2. It appears he’ll perform Othello and King Lear on stage, with Othello also being adapted into a film, though no director has been chosen yet. Shakespeare movie adaptations generally attract a smaller, specialized audience, so his Othello film might end up being a quieter release.

Source: Screenrant