It has been over four years since the fourth series of Sherlock concluded, leaving many to wonder if we will ever see Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman back together as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson. While there have been unusually long gaps between seasons, this has been the longest period without new episodes of Sherlock since the series began in 2010. After Benedict Cumberbatch said “never say never” when it comes to more episodes of Sherlock in a recent interview with Collider, the actor behind Watson has also spoken up about a potential fifth series.
Collider's own Christina Radish recently spoke with Freeman about the second season of his FX TV series Breeders. During the interview, Freeman expounded on Cumberbatch's suggestion that there could be a Sherlock movie instead of a Season 5 in addition to sharing his thoughts about returning to the franchise full stop:
“Yeah, I think it is possible. It might be more likely, yeah. I think we’ve all left it so that it’s not a full stop, it’s just a big ellipsis or a big pause. Maybe it’s because we don’t want to say, ‘Oh, it’s a full stop.’ I’m not sure. To be honest, I’m a big believer in not going past your sell by date, in anything, really. Don’t outstay your welcome. So, I suppose we would have to see if we have outstayed our welcome, when the time comes, and whether people have moved on to something else. So, I don’t know. I really liked doing it. I’m very proud of the show. It’s one of the best written things I’ve done. It’s one of the best directed things I’ve done. I really enjoy doing it, but I don’t know. It’s been awhile now. It’s four years since a new one was on. So, yeah, maybe the more likely thing is a one-off.”
Cumberbatch mentioned that both he and Freeman have been extremely busy recently, making it difficult to continue Sherlock at this time. This year, Cumberbatch has already appeared in the Golden Globe-winning The Mauritanian. He is also still set to appear in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, as well as a starring role in Jane Campion’s latest film, The Power of the Dog. There is also the matter of Cumberbatch's MCU duties. He will appear as Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home and is filming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead of its release next year.
Freeman has also been busy in recent years, having also appeared in Marvel pics Captain America: CivilWar and Black Panther. Freeman will also star in the upcoming miniseries, The Responder and of course the second season of Breeders, which he co-created and stars in, and which will premiere on March 22.
But with both Cumberbatch and Freeman heavily entrenched in their own separate projects, it looks like there might be quite the wait for more Sherlock if it even happens at all. Freeman’s comments make it sound like he would enjoy doing more of the series, yet he doesn’t want the series to overstay its welcome. With both Cumberbatch and Freeman sounding relatively positive about eventually making a one-off project, there’s enough hope for Sherlock fans that they might see Holmes and Watson back together again one day.