This Denzel Washington Movie Exists in the Same Universe as Die Hard

Denzel Washington was an acclaimed performer pretty much from the jump. But the ’80s and ’90s weren’t that much different from now regarding his career’s diversity. When it comes to his modern-day movies, there are action vehicles such as The Equalizer and Gladiator II coming out just as often as dramas like The Tragedy of Macbeth and Fences. Back in the day, in between critically acclaimed projects like Cry Freedom and Malcolm X, there were (smaller) action flicks such as The Mighty Quinn and Ricochet. And, when it comes to the latter title, there’s a certain connection to what many consider the absolute best of the fist-throwing genre: Die Hard.

It’s a small connection, but it is there. And considering the movies came from different studios (20th Century Studios for Die Hard and Warner Bros. for Ricochet), it’s surprising it’s there. The likely reason? Both Die Hard and Ricochet (which was initially intended to be a Dirty Harry sequel) were produced by Joel Silver. So, how do the two films tie together? Let’s find out.

How Does Ricochet Connect to Die Hard?

Specifically, the connection comes down to a single shared cast member: Mary Ellen Trainor. She plays the same character in Ricochet, Gail Wallens, that she did in Die Hard. Wallens is one of the news anchors reporting the events transpiring at Nakatomi Plaza.

In Ricochet, Trainor’s screentime as Wallens is even smaller. She basically just briefly talks about the fall from grace experienced by Washington’s character. In Die Hard, she has a few scenes, including revealing Hans Gruber’s identity and interviewing a psychologist. In other words, she doesn’t have a particularly integral part to play in either film, but her presence certainly makes for a fun Easter egg.

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What is Ricochet About?

Ricochet stars Denzel Washington as rookie LAPD officer and law student turned assistant district attorney Nick Styles. One night while on patrol, Styles encounters hitman Earl Talbot Blake (John Lithgow). Blake is at a carnival, having just gunned down some drug dealers, and now he has a hostage in hand. Styles and Blake face-off, resulting in the former shooting the latter in the knee. The outcome? Styles is widely deemed a hero while Blake (and his accomplice) is sent to prison, where he grows increasingly vengeful.

After escaping, Blake and his new Aryan Brotherhood pals frame Styles for embezzling city funds (which is where Wallens comes in). Blake continues to tarnish Styles’ reputation, costing him his relationship, his job, and the public’s high view of him. But after Styles fakes his own death with the help of his childhood friend turned drug dealer (Ice-T), he gets the upper hand on Blake, even calling in the media to see who is really at fault for all of the things for which Styles is accused.

Ricochet is not currently available to stream, but Die Hard can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.