Denzel Washington announces his retirement after the next batch of films

On By Littum

Denzel Washington is unstoppable when it comes to this big decision.

The 69-year-old revealed that he plans to retire from Hollywood after the many acting projects he has underway.

“I don’t know how many films I will make. Probably not that many,” Washington said during an interview with Australia’s today on Monday. “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 to Steve McQueen about a movie. After that writes Ryan Coogler quite a bit to me in the next ‘Black Panther’.”

Denzel Washington in a scene from “Gladiator II”. AP

He added: “After that I’m going to do the movie ‘Othello’. After that I’m going to do ‘King Lear’. After that I’m going to retire.”

Washington got her start in the 1977 film “Wilma,” followed by the 1981 film “Carbon Copy.”

Meanwhile, “Black Panther” became one of the MCU’s signature franchises, with the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan earning more than $1.3 billion at the box office.

Denzel Washington and Todd Black speak onstage during Netflix’s special presentation of “The Piano Lesson” during the Toronto International Film Festival at the Princess of Wales Theater on September 10, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. Getty Images for Netflix

Boseman died at the age of 43 in 2020 from colon cancer.

The 2022 sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” was a tribute to the late actor and continued the story of Wakanda and its people.

These days, Washington is focused on promoting “Gladiator II,” the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 action film.

Denzel Washington attends the “Gladiator II” Paris Special Screening at Pathe Palace on November 10, 2024 in Paris, France. Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

“Gladiator II” takes place over two decades after the events of the original “Gladiator” movie, which starred Russell Crowe. In the sequel, Paul Mescal plays the adult Lucius Verus II, the son of Crowe’s character, Maximus, who ends up forced into slavery and becomes a gladiator to gain his freedom, just as his father did in the first film.

Washington portrays former slave and Lucius’ mentor, Macrinus. The actor teased his possible retirement in August.

“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in,” Washington shared Empire magazine. “I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was hugely inspired by Ridley.”

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

The pair previously worked together on the film “American Gangster” from 2007.

“We had a great run the first round (on ‘American Gangster’) and here we are,” Washington continued. “He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration.”

“We should all like to feel like that at the age of 86,” added the star.

But during an appearance last month on Britain’s “Graham Norton Show,” Mescal, 28, took a moment to gulp about meeting the Oscar winner on set.

“It was a big day in my life — it was amazing. I spent the first day thinking, ‘I have to introduce myself to him,’ and I stood there for several minutes before I (decided), ‘No today,’ the actor recalled. “The next day I decided to be a brave boy.”