Fans are eager to see Robert Downey Jr. reprise one of his most beloved roles outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s been 16 years since he first played the character in a well-regarded adaptation. Although he’s famous for playing Iron Man/Tony Stark in the MCU for 11 years and will soon be Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, Downey Jr. has a wide-ranging career. Interestingly, he also breathed life into another iconic character while playing Iron Man, and audiences are hoping he’ll revisit that role too.
I remember being so excited when Robert Downey Jr. became Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s movie! It came out on Christmas Day in 2009 and was based on the classic stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. The film takes place in 1890 and follows Holmes and his partner, Dr. Watson (played by Jude Law), as they investigate the strange crimes of Lord Blackwood, who seems to have come back to life. It was a massive hit, earning over $524 million worldwide on a $90 million budget, and led to another great movie in 2011. We’re all still hoping for a third one, though!
What We Know About Sherlock Holmes 3’s Story & Release Date
Both Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows featured new stories, but they stayed true to the spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original tales, which helped make them feel exciting and genuine. Critics and audiences alike appreciated the films’ exciting action, strong performances by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, and distinctive look, leading to strong box office numbers despite some mixed opinions. Sadly, plans for a third film have been stuck in development for years.
As a big fan, I was really excited when I heard Dexter Fletcher, who directed movies like Sunshine on Leith and Rocketman, was taking over as director for Sherlock Holmes 3 back in 2019. Of course, then the pandemic hit, and everything got delayed. More recently, in 2023, Fletcher let us know that he, along with Robert and Susan Downey (aka Team Downey), are still working on the script, which is great to hear! They even mentioned in 2020 that they had ideas for expanding the Sherlock Holmes world with spinoffs and TV series, but so far, we haven’t seen any of those plans come to life. I’m still hoping we get to see more of that universe eventually!
In an October 2025 interview with Collider, Susan Downey shared that a third Sherlock Holmes movie almost happened. While she believes it’s probably good that version didn’t move forward, she expressed a continued desire to create another Sherlock Holmes film, saying they’ve been developing ideas for a long time. Downey hinted that the third movie could be set in the United States, offering a fresh setting for the character, though she acknowledged this would be a significant gamble for a franchise that has been in development for 16 years.
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2025-12-25 21:40