'Avengers: Infinity War' Writers and Directors Address Why There Is No Sherlock Joke

Avengers: Infinity War certainly had its fair amount of humor, but there's a reason why one highly-anticipated joke was left on the cutting room floor.

In one memorable exchange on Infinity War's new directors' commentary track, co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo and co-writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely pondered whether or not they should have included a Sherlock Holmes joke within the film. Seeing as Tony Stark/Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. and Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch have both portrayed the iconic detective in recent years, it certainly would have been an easy opportunity -- which is exactly why they didn't make it.

"They should say, 'No sh*t, Sherlock'." Joe Russo suggested, while watching the scene where Tony and Stephen meet for the first time.

"Oh my God," Anthony Russo exclaimed.

"Everybody really wants that joke," Joe explained.

"Why didn't you reference it?" Markus asked.

"It's a meta-joke that requires you to be a fan of other movies," McFeely suggested.

"It's also a very obvious joke." Joe added. "Not that we can't be accused of having made obvious jokes before. But I guess it is our movie, so we can pick and choose the obvious jokes we want to put in it."

The Russo Brothers have made similar sorts of comments in the past, arguing that a "No sh*t, Sherlock" joke would have felt like a bit of a cheap shot. Still, it's interesting to see why the moment didn't make its way into Infinity War, even as it would have jelled with the characters' unlikely bond.

"I mean I should have known this just by watching it, but by being a big fan of the Doctor Strange standalone, too, if you think about it logically if you want to, superhero movies, Strange is the guy who actually can, if he has the wherewithal to do it, he's the one who can run through all the outcomes and actually figure out what the most likely scenario is going to be," Downey Jr. said before Infinity War was released. "And I think once Tony recognizes that that's something that even though he thinks it might be within his control ultimately there's a spiritual solution and if someone has the ability to have that kind of intuition, he can only stay at odds with them for so long."

Would you have wanted to see a Sherlock joke make its way into Avengers: Infinity War? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Avengers: Infinity War is now available on Digital HD. Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, and Avengers 4 on May 3, 2019, and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.