CBS cancels ‘The Equalizer' days before season finale as star Queen Latifah speaks out over ending
Queen Latifah will take her final bow as street vigilante Robyn McCall in 'The Equalizer' on Sunday as CBS canceled the beloved drama, ending a five-season run.
The primetime thriller, which first aired in 2021, followed Latifah's McCall, a former CIA operative and mother of two, who tasked herself with helping others.
The season finale, which was set for Sunday, will act as the series finale, Deadline reported.
5 Queen Latifah portrays Robyn McCall in a scene from 'The Equalizer.'
CBS
Latifah also served as the show's executive producer alongside production partner Shakim Comper. She paid tribute to the show and her character on Friday — hours after the show was axed from CBS's primetime lineup.
'Stepping into a kick-ass role like Robyn was everything I hoped it would be,' she wrote on Instagram.
'Shakim and I at Flavor Unit are always excited to bring these kinds of roles and projects to life—and then we just hope you love them as much as we do. The Equalizer blew past every dream we had for it, and having the opportunity to do this for five seasons honestly feels surreal.'
Latifah mentioned the cast, crew and fans in her tribute to the show, thanking them for the support, saying it meant the 'world.'
The 55-year-old hinted at her next project, teasing it would follow the same path as 'The Equalizer.'
'And don't worry—I'll be back kicking ass in something new real soon. Can't wait to share it with you,' she wrote.
5 Queen Latifah, Laya DeLeon Hayes and Lorraine Toussaint appear in a scene during 'The Equalizer' Season 5 Episode 10.
CBS via Getty Images
5 Tory Kittles portrays Detective Marcus Dante alongside Queen Latifah's Robyn McCall in Season 5 Episode 11 of 'The Equalizer.'
CBS via Getty Images
The show also starred Tory Kittes, Adam Goldberg, Liza Lapira, Laya DeLeon Hayes and Lorraine Toussaint.
It was a reboot of the 1985 series of the same name starring Edward Woodward.
The show was nominated for several awards, including BET, the NAACP Image Awards, People's Choice, and Critics' Choice.
Latifah won the 2025 Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the NAACP Image Awards in February.
5 Queen Latifah and Liza Lapira in 'The Equalizer' episode titled 'Stolen Angel.'
CBS via Getty Images
5 Latifah won the 2025 Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the NAACP Image Awards in February.
CBS
The 74-episode series earned a spinoff, but was pulled from consideration during CBS's bloodbath of show scheduling in the early months of the year.
In its final season and a later time slot, the show's viewership dropped by almost 2 million as it failed to reach 6 million viewers a week compared to last season's 7.89 million viewers, the Hollywood Reporter reported.
CBS's decision to end the series comes two months after the network pulled the plug on five other beloved law enforcement dramas, including 'S.W.A.T.' and 'FBI: Most Wanted.'
'S.W.A.T.' star Shemar Moore reacted similarly to Latifah after his show was canceled, remaining resilient and proud of his work.
'Uncanceled twice, two years in a row. Now I don't know my history, but how many shows get to say that? I'm going to say none. Or we're one of the none. We did that and we are so proud,' he said in March.
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