In 2009, a year after Robert Downey Jr. debuted as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor joined the long lineup of actors who’ve played Sherlock Holmes. Following his initial outing as the Arthur Conan Doyle-created detective, he returned for 2011’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but that’s the last time we saw him in the role. Although there are a number of things we know about Sherlock Holmes 3, the threequel remains in limbo, but apparently it’s still “a priority” for Downey.
Susan Downey, Robert Downey Jr.’s wife and producing partner, attended WrapWomen’s “UnWrapped” with fellow Team Downey producer Amanda Burrell, and Sherlock Holmes 3 came up as a topic of conversation. While attached director Dexter Fletcher told ReelBlend that the threequel is not currently in development, Susan Downey said to The Wrap it is definitely still being talked about. In her words:
Well, here’s what I can tell you. And Amanda can attest to this. Prior to this, we had lunch together with Robert, the three of us. And it was a very specific topic of conversation. So yes, it is in the hopper. We’re going to do it when it’s right, with the right people, but it is a priority for the company and a priority for Robert.
While this doesn’t clear up when Sherlock Holmes 3 will finally take some significant steps forward, it is good to know that Robert Downey Jr. and everyone else involved with it do still want to make it happen, as opposed to just abandoning the project and not cluing the public in. Still, Fletcher, who was announced in 2019 to be directing the next Sherlock Homes movie, also recently said that the lead actor’s busy schedule has made it difficult to get things rolling on it again. That lines up with what Guy Ritchie, director of the first two Sherlock Holmes movies, said in February, namely that the “ball” has been in Downey’s court when it comes to getting Sherlock Holmes 3 off the ground.
It’s also possible that even if Sherlock Holmes 3 permanently stalls and never sees the light of day, the franchise as a whole could live on in a different way. Last year, it was reported that two Sherlock Holmes spinoff shows were in development at HBO Max, with Team Downey producing. These shows would focus on new characters who are supposed to be introduced in the next movie, but it’s unclear if Robert Downey Jr. would reprise the detective in either shows, even in a cameoing capacity. So the way things are laid out now, this Sherlock Holmes saga still stands a good chance of continuing, it’s just a matter of when and through what kind of project.
HBO Max subscribers can easily stream Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies, and if/when the day a concrete update on where the threequel stands comes in, we’ll pass it along. Until then, Downey can next be seen this summer as a member of Oppenheimer’s massive cast, and he’s also starring in and executive producing The Sympathizer, the miniseries that will air in 2024 on the streaming platform that will then simply be known as Max.
