What with the success of BBC’s Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes, it’s easy to forget the consulting detectives who paved the way all those years ago. We’re not talking Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett, but rather a more recent iteration of London’s famous sleuth set in the late Victorian era: Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes.
Joined by Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, Guy Ritchie’s adaptation earned itself a cult following, thereafter spawning a sequel in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows just two years later. Supporting characters in Rachel McAdams’ Irene Adler, Jared Harris’ Professor Moriarty and Eddie Marsan’s Inspector Lestrade finished off the ensemble cast.
It’s been 12 years now since A Game of Shadows hit theaters, and while the idea has been tossed around a few times, no one — not Village Roadshow, Guy Ritchie nor RDJ — seems to be pushing for an end to the planned trilogy. The threequel must have been teased more times than we can count on two hands, but the ball never got rolling. That’s not for a lack of interest, however, as recurring cast members have all expressed interest in returning, most notably RDJ himself, who’s touching 60. But he isn’t the only one, as Filth star Eddie Marsan revealed that he’s also eager to do a third.
Catching up with ComicBook.com, Marsan touched briefly on ‘Sherlock Holmes 3’ while promoting his new science-fiction drama series The Power, also starring Toni Collette and John Leguizamo. After reiterating that it had been over 10 years since he last played Inspector Lestrade, Marsan praised his co-stars Downey Jr. and Law, then shared that he “hopes” there’s a third installment.
“I don’t know. I keep hearing, I just did a movie with Jude, and neither – no one’s approached either of us,” Marsan revealed. “I don’t know, they keep talking about it and talking about it and it’s been 10, I think it’s been over 10 years, 12 years now. I don’t know. I don’t know. I hope so … hope so. I think… I think it was a good series. I think Robert was fantastic. I think Jude was fantastic. I’d be up for doing another one so we’ll see.”
Ritchie made it clear that the ball was in RDJ’s court, as he’d left the soon-to-be 58-year-old in charge of pre-production, scriptwriting and overall creativity. If that’s the case, however, we shouldn’t expect anything too soon, especially not after RDJ’s hectic personal life in recent years, including losing his father. It might be some time before RDJ revisits the subject, but if he’s still got the passion for it, it’ll be well worth the wait.