Sherlock Holmes 3 and BBC’s Sherlock season 5 have both been in limbo for quite a while, yet the former sounds much more exciting than the latter for several reasons. The early 2010s were massive for Sherlock Holmes in terms of screen adaptations. Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes premiered in 2009 starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character and Jude Law as John Watson. A few months later, Sherlock season 1 premiered on BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as modern-day versions of Sherlock and Watson.
Both adaptations are among the most popular Sherlock Holmes projects ever put to screen.
A third Sherlock Holmes movie has been in development for over a decade now, whereas Sherlock season 4 concluded in January 2017. Although there have been major Sherlock adaptations since then, including but not limited to the Enola Holmes movies, both Downey Jr.’s Sherlock features and Cumberbatch’s Sherlock series are still very popular.
Which is the better version of Sherlock for the 21st century is open for debate, not to mention other adaptations like Elementary. Still, the fact is that Sherlock Holmes 3 and Sherlock season 5 would both generate a lot of interest if they happened.
Sherlock Holmes 3 Has More Potential Than Sherlock Season 5
BBC’s Sherlock already covered a lot of stories
After four seasons and a special, BBC’s Sherlock already covered some of the best and most influential Sherlock Holmes books and stories.
The modern-day Sherlock series premiered in 2010 and released four seasons consisting of three 90-minute-long episodes, plus a holiday special of the same length. From John and Sherlock’s first case together to the "final problem," the Sherlock series had a great run and does not need to return. Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes, on the other hand, only got two movies. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes 3 has arguably more potential than Sherlock season 5.
Sherlock season 4 may have been flawed, but it gave the series a satisfying conclusion and left no loose ends.
Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes told an original story, whereas Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows incorporated Professor Moriarty and was loosely based on The Final Problem. Whereas a TV show like BBC’s Sherlock or CBS’s Elementary can cover multiple stories and cases per season, the theatrical Sherlock Holmes movies can only tackle so many storylines at once.
There would be dozens of Sherlock books available for Sherlock Holmes 3 to be based on, even if the sequel was not a direct adaptation of any of them. There is a lot of room to expand Downey Jr.’s Sherlock franchise.
The fact that A Game of Shadows ended on a cliffhanger also makes Sherlock Holmes 3 much more of a necessity than Sherlock season 5. While there could always be new cases for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock to solve, the BBC series had a very definitive ending.
Sherlock season 4 may have been flawed, but it gave the series a satisfying conclusion and left no loose ends. A Game of Shadows, however, ends with Sherlock Holmes faking his death and returning at the last minute. Twelve years later, this cliffhanger has yet to be paid off.
Sherlock's Decline Makes A Return Less Exciting Than More Of RDJ's Sherlock
Sherlock was never the same after season 2
Sherlock Holmes (2009) was a strong start to the franchise and helped kick off the “Sherlock resurgence” of the 2010s, which would then include BBC’s Sherlock and Elementary. Robert Downey Jr. had just experienced Iron Man’s massive success, and it seemed like Holmes was going to be his next major character in addition to Tony Stark. The film was a hit and led to a sequel, A Game of Shadows, which premiered two years later.
Both Sherlock Holmes and A Game of Shadows offered an interesting, more action-packed take on the character while keeping Sherlock’s essence.
Combined, Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Downey Jr.’s performance as Holmes was a highlight of both films, whose cast also included names like Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and Jared Harris.
From the production design to the set pieces, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes franchise tried to make Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories into blockbusters – and it worked. After two very entertaining movies, it would be disappointing if a third film never happened. BBC’s Sherlock, on the other hand, was in decline during seasons 3 and 4 after a spectacular start. Sherlock season 4 was the show's worst, whereas Sherlock Holmes 2 could still use a sequel.
Sherlock Season 5 Would Work Better As A Movie (But It's Still Less Exciting Than Sherlock Holmes 3)
There isn’t much left for Cumberbatch’s Sherlock to do
Custom image of Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock HolmesCustom image by Debanjana Chowdhury
Perhaps the best way of revisiting Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock series would be through a movie or TV special, similar to what The Abominable Bride did between seasons 3 and 4.
Sherlock is among the most important adaptations of the character ever put to screen, having likely introduced Sherlock Holmes and John Watson to newer generations by reinventing classic stories into modern-day, fast-paced TV episodes. Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman both give great performances as Sherlock and Watson, respectively, and it would always be nice to see them revisit these characters in any way.
Custom image of Hero Fiennes Tiffin in The Ministry Of Ungetlemanly Warfare
However, between Moriarty fakeouts and a long-lost sister, Sherlock season 4 proved that it was time to wrap things up. Part of what made Sherlock so good was seeing its titular character grow and become a better version of himself thanks to the influence of his friends and family, which is why having multiple seasons of it would never work.
Therefore, a TV film or special starring Cumberbatch and Freeman would be much more interesting than another three 90-minute episodes. There isn’t much that hasn’t been done with those versions of the characters, whereas Downey Jr. has only played Sherlock twice.
Will Sherlock Holmes 3 Or Sherlock Season 5 Actually Happen?
The status of both projects is unclear
Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch as SherlockCustom image by Debanjana Chowdhury.
Although Sherlock was never actually canceled, a fifth season was never produced. Season 4 played out like the end of the story, though, with John and Sherlock walking together into the sunset in the final scene, ready to take on new adventures. Still, neither the cast nor the creators ever ruled out the possibility of a fifth season or some other type of sequel.
In April 2024, Sherlock co-creator and Mycroft Holmes actor Mark Gatiss (via Deadline) said they would “like to make a film but trying to get everyone together is very difficult.”
Susan Downey: I mean, look, no, there's no update, other than it's still very much alive in our hearts. Every day we talk about, "What is the best next version of that?" Because anytime I see Robert and Jude together, which fortunately, I do get to see a few times a year, we hang out, and I'm just like, "Can I get these guys back on screen together?", it's magic.
There needs to be a really strong reason, it needs to be a great story, and we do have some things in the works.
Sherlock Holmes 3 has been in limbo for several years now. A sequel to A Game of Shadows was confirmed shortly after the release of the second film, yet years went by with no updates. In July 2019, Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher was announced to be replacing Guy Ritchie as the director of the third installment.
More recently, following the announcement that Guy Ritchie was going to helm a Young Sherlock series for Amazon, producer Susan Downey confirmed to Screen Rant that Sherlock Holmes 3 is still “very much alive.”
