Summary
Robert Downey Jr.’s return to theSherlock Holmesfranchise has long been expected, but it now appears that he’s lost his successful series. One of the biggest roles Downey got afterIron Manhelped revive his career was as the iconic British detective Sherlock Holmes in a new movie franchise spearheaded by Guy Ritchie for Warner Bros. His debut came in 2009, and he returned for the sequel in 2011. The twoSherlock Holmesmovieswere generally well-received by critics and became major box office hits, helping the franchise cross the $1 billion milestone in a short time.
The overall success of theSherlock Holmesfranchise brought every expectation that Robert Downey Jr. would return as the brilliant detective for a third installment. Development was officially announced to be underway in 2011, and Downey, Ritchie, and others all remained optimistic thatSherlock Holmes 3would happen. This was thought to only become a bigger priority for Robert Downey Jr. after his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Iron Man came to an end with 2019’sAvengers: Endgame. Now it appears Downey has lost theSherlock Holmesfranchise.
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Sherlock Holmes 3 Looks Less Likely After New TV Show Announcement
Ritchie Is Developing A Sherlock Holmes Prequel Show
The likelihood ofSherlock Holmes 3happening suddenly decreased upon the announcement that Guy Ritchie is developing anewSherlock HolmesTV show. The series will follow ayounger version of Sherlock Holmes played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Guy Ritchie is set to direct all eight episodes ofYoung Sherlockfor Prime Video. The project was not announced with any connection to Robert Downey Jr.’s movie franchise, as it appears to be a completely new take on the fictional character and Andy Lane’s book of the same name.
With Guy Ritchie pivoting his focus as far as Sherlock Holmes is concerned toYoung Sherlock, there becomes alesser chance thatSherlock Holmes 3is made. It was previously announced in 2019 thatRitchie would not directSherlock Holmes 3, but the film’s struggle to get made left hope that he could return. The development ofYoung Sherlockindicates that Ritchie is absolutely not involved with the movie franchise. That could be a sign that Downey’s version of the character is done, asYoung Sherlockbecomes the latest Sherlock Holmes project to move forward separate from the franchise.
Why Sherlock Holmes 3 Never Happened
Robert Downey Jr. Is A Busy Man
If Robert Downey Jr.’s days of playing Sherlock Holmes are over,he is one of the biggest reasons whySherlock Holmes 3never happened. He managed to make the first two installments between juggling his return as Iron Man inIron Man 2andThe Avengers. However, onceThe Avengersbecame a $1.5 billion hit and launched the MCU into a new success tier, Downey suddenly became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He doubled down on that success by almost exclusively appearing in MCU movies from 2013-2019, as he had six appearances in seven years.
Development onSherlock Holmes 3continued throughout this period, but it never made substantial progress as Downey remained tied up as Iron Man. The script was constantly rewritten, and potential plans for filming to begin were repeatedly delayed. Warner Bros. even went as far as announcing a December 2020 release date, hoping thatSherlock Holmes 3would be one of Downey’s first major post-MCU projects. Under Dexter Fletcher’s guidance, the film did begin casting new actors and prepping for a 2020 shoot, but those plans were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With so much trouble forSherlock Holmes 3, the franchise’s focus shifted in 2020 with the announcement of plans for Robert Downey Jr. and his wife/producing partner Susan Downey to develop aSherlock Holmes Cinematic Universe. Two shows were put into development for Max in 2022. However,it has now been 13 years since the last installment of thisSherlock Holmesfranchise. Multiple other iterations of the character have happened since then, making Downey’s version feel more like a distant memory than part of an active franchise.
Ian McKellen, Will Ferrell, Henry Cavill, Jonny Lee Miller, and Benedict Cumberbatch have all played Sherlock Holmes since Robert Downey Jr.’s last appearance.
Robert Downey Jr. Is Better Off Without Sherlock Holmes Now
He’s Moved Away From Franchises
The time that has passed sinceSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowshas allowed Robert Downey Jr. to move into a different point of his career, where he is now arguably better off with the franchise’s return. His most recent attempt to launch a new franchise based on a recognizable fictional character,Dolittle, was a critical disaster and lost money at the box office. This brought the former MCU star to shift his focus away from franchises. The results of this move speak for themselves.
Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar forOppenheimerafter looking for more dramatic roles that were not connected to IP. Hisperformance onThe Sympathizeris also one of his best.Downey has consciously moved away from franchises likeSherlock Holmesand has found incredible success in a short amount of time.Sherlock Holmes 3is a risky bet with so much time passing between the sequels. Robert Downey Jr. returning toSherlock Holmeswould feel like a step backward at this point, which could helpYoung Sherlockbreathe fresh life into the character without Downey’s return looming.
