The Unexpected Return of Susan Plummer in The Equalizer 3
Melissa Leo's character, Susan Plummer, makes a surprise cameo in The Equalizer 3, and her appearance holds significant connections to the storyline. Here's how her unexpected return adds depth to the narrative and ties in with the events of the movie.
The Surprising Cameo
The Equalizer 3 includes a brief cameo from Susan Plummer, and here's how Melissa Leo's character returns.
Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) talking to Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) in The Equalizer
The third installment of Denzel Washington's action franchise features almost no returning characters from the previous films outside his Robert McCall.
The Equalizer 3 focuses entirely on a new story with a new set of characters. However, the movie does include some notable connections to the previous installments, including a brief appearance by Melissa Leo's Susan Plummer, that helps connect to the events of The Equalizer 3's ending.
The Unexpected Reappearance
Melissa Leo appeared as Susan Plummer in the first two The Equalizer movies, but her involvement in the third film was always unexpected.
This was due to Susan Plummer dying in The Equalizer 2. With her character off the table, the odds of seeing McCall's former DIA agent friend again were low.
This is why it might come as a surprise when The Equalizer 3 shows Susan and Robert having a brief conversation. Since it comes as part of a look inside McCall's mind, the movie might leave questions about how exactly the sequel managed to bring Plummer back in this fashion.
The Clever Utilization of Footage
The Equalizer 3 uses footage from the first movie to include Susan Plummer.
Melissa Leo did not film any new scenes for The Equalizer 3, as the movie instead used footage from the original movie for this moment.
When viewers see a glimpse inside McCall's mind, a conversation between he and Susan from The Equalizer is momentarily shown. This is lifted directly from the first movie when the two friends have a conversation about what McCall has gotten himself involved in.
Since the initial The Equalizer movie came out many years ago and this scene was quite short, it is understandable if The Equalizer 3 viewers do not immediately recall that this moment happened previously. It proves to be a rather clever way of including Plummer without requiring Melissa Leo to return in any sense.
