The Real Reason Queen Latifah's The Equalizer Was Canceled At CBS

The second reboot of the (shockingly difficult-to-watch) mid-80s CBS series "The Equalizer" after the Denzel Washington film franchise, the Queen Latifah-led crime drama is a fun and satisfying one-hour episodic series about a team of vigilantes led by a former CIA operative. Working together, they right wrongs and dole out justice for those whom the system has failed, taking aim at the powerful and privileged alike to even the score.

But after five seasons and a brief period in production limbo, the series was not picked up for a sixth season. Although no official reason for the cancellation was given by the network, the show's falling ratings likely played a role in its non-renewal.

The series was one of several scripted CBS shows to come to an end this year, along with "FBI: Most Wanted," "Blue Bloods," and the short-lived sitcom "Poppa's House." According to Deadline, the cancellation followed a budget cut for "The Equalizer" that allegedly included a pay reduction for Queen Latifah, suggesting that finances also factored into the network's decision.

Before "The Equalizer" was handed its cancellation notice, those involved in making the series had planned for its sixth season to serve as its last; the final season would have had 13 episodes to tie off the show's loose ends. Although the decision to end the series came down to the wire, the production team had been aware of the possibility and planned accordingly, writing the Season 5 finale so it could potentially work as an ending for the show as a whole in the event of a non-renewal. As a result, although there are a few questions that have been left unanswered, the decision to end the show with Detective Marcus Dante, played by Tory Kittles, proposing to Latifah's Robyn offers a decent consolation prize for fans.

Despite its cancellation, the show met Queen Latifah's original goal for its run. As she told Entertainment Weekly in 2021, "The world needs to see a little justice for a while. I think it is going to be something people are going to enjoy seeing for no less than five years. And I'm up for it."

Prior to "The Equalizer" getting cut from the CBS lineup, a potential follow-up series had been in the works for some time. A backdoor pilot episode for the hoped-for spin-off, "Sins of the Father," aired on April 20, 2025, featuring Titus Welliver, who starred as Harry Bosch on "Bosch." In his "Equalizer" storyline, Welliver plays legendary former CIA agent Elijah Reed, whose daughter Samantha (Juani Feliz) contacts McCall after her dad goes missing.

The spin-off would have focused on these two characters, a formidable duo given the extensive weapons, martial arts, and general intelligence training Samantha received from her dear old dad. Sadly for fans looking for something to fill the "Bosch"-sized hole in their lives, the network passed on the series in April 2025 along with a spin-off of "The Neighborhood" and a new comedy series called "Zarna." The show had not yet been given a name at the time of its cancellation.