Sherlock Holmes Producer Offers Update on Third Robert Downey Jr. Film

Just a year after debuting as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. also starred in an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes as the iconic detective, with the 2009 adaptation being a success with critics and at the box office. Now that Downey’s time with the MCU has come to an end, audiences are wondering when, or if, we could get a third Sherlock Holmes, with producer Susan Downey confirming that such a project is a “priority” for the actor. Despite audiences being disappointed that Downey’s time in the MCU has concluded, this will build even more excitement at getting a follow-up to 2011’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. 

Speaking with the UnWrapped podcast about a third film, Downey expressed, “Here’s what I can tell you … Prior to this, we had lunch together with Robert … It was a very specific topic of conversation, so yes. It is in the hopper. We’re gonna do it when it’s right with the right people but it is a priority for the company and a priority for Robert.”

A third entry into the film has been in the works for years, basically ever since Downey’s time in the MCU was starting to wind down in the late 2010s. Between the release of Avengers: Endgame and the coronavirus pandemic, development of the project stagnated for years, which at one point had a 2020 release date.

While the first two films were directed by Guy Ritchie, Dexter Fletcher was enlisted to helm the third entry. Fletcher offered an update on the project last year, echoing the challenges it faced due to the pandemic.

“The pandemic derailed it,” Fletcher revealed to Collider. “I do think it will get made. I think it has to be made. I don’t know what the timeline of that is, unfortunately, but I believe it should be. It’s fantastic. I think it’s about all the right people being at the right place, at the right time. I think it’s that. It’s one of those cruel twists of fate, where the pandemic hit and that scattered people around the world to the wind. But I know that the appetite is huge for it, and I’m sure there are other people acutely aware of that as well. But I believe it should be because it’s brilliant. I very much hope so.”

Stay tuned for updates on the third Sherlock Holmes.

Are you looking forward to a third film? Let us know in the comments!