The modern remake of the 1980s series starring Edward Woodward had a high-profile premiere after the 2021 Super Bowl. Latifah has previously expressed wanting to work on The Equalizer for at least half a decade.

"The world needs to see a little justice for a while," she told Entertainment Weekly in February 2021. "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."

Still, a few days before its season 5 finale on May 4, CBS announced that it had no plans to renew The Equalizer for a sixth installment.

So why was The Equalizer canceled? Here's everything to know about the crime drama's abrupt ending and what the cast has said about the news.

Why was The Equalizer canceled?

CBS revealed that The Equalizer was canceled on May 2, only two days before the season 5 finale was set to air. Back in February, the network renewed several shows, but The Equalizer wasn't part of the lineup.

At the time, Deadline reported that there were ongoing talks and "50-50" odds that it would return for a 13-episode final season. When news broke that The Equalizer was officially ending, the publication noted that the show's writers and producers had seen this as a possibility and designed the season 5 finale to be a bookend for the series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series' ratings fell from an average of 7.89 million viewers down to about 6 million viewers after it moved to a later time slot on Sunday nights. Additionally, Deadline reported that finances played a role in the decision.

What did cast members say about The Equalizer getting canceled?

Shortly after CBS canceled The Equalizer, lead star Latifah shared her thoughts on Instagram, alongside a photo of her playing Robyn McCall.

“Stepping into a kick-ass role like Robyn was everything I hoped it would be,” she wrote in part. “The Equalizer blew past every dream we had for it, and having the opportunity to do this for five seasons honestly feels surreal.”

Latifah continued, “Thank you to our amazing cast, crew, and producers and writers! And I can’t say enough about the FANS!Y’all have been so loyal, so loud, and so ride-or-die—and that’s exactly why we keep doing this. We can’t thank you enough. It means the world to us.”

“I am so grateful and moved that you loyal viewers who have so graciously welcomed us into your homes and your lives for 5 extraordinary seasons,” Toussaint penned. “Thank you to an amazing crew and cast who have become family. I have loved playing Aunt Vi. Thank you @queenlatifah. The love is so real.”

Hayes echoed a similar message, writing, “thank you to each and every one of you who has watched and supported our show for the past 5 years ... i am honored to have grown up on this show. playing delilah has been an absolute gift. i am forever changed and eternally grateful."

Speaking to PEOPLE in May 2021, as the show's first season was wrapping up, Hayes told PEOPLE that Latifah has made a "collaborative" environment on-set.

"She's really wanted to ... take a lot of my own experiences with me and my mom and add them into the scenery, so they can become Robyn and Delilah's thing as well," Hayes shared.

Is a spinoff of The Equalizer happening?

The season 5 episode of The Equalizer, titled "Sins of the Father," served as a backdoor pilot for a spinoff. The episode saw Samantha Reed (Juani Feliz) contact Robyn to help track down her father, missing ex-CIA agent Elijah Reed (Titus Welliver).

Days after the episode aired, TV Line reported that CBS was not moving forward with The Equalizer spinoff.

"Latifah and I have known each for a thousand centuries, but we never worked together before, so that was really the cherry on top," Welliver told TV Insider about filming the episode. "We had a couple of scenes together. It was great. I can’t say enough good things about that entire group."

Where can I watch The Equalizer?

All five seasons of The Equalizer are available to stream on Paramount+.

The first three seasons are also currently available on Netflix.