Season 4 of Sherlock just ended this past weekend, but already fans are worried about the future. It’s understandable, too, given how up in the air everything seems to be at the moment. Star Benedict Cumberbatch is becoming quite a hot commodity in Hollywood and it’s getting tougher to find time in his schedule to shoot the BBC show. Not only that, but apparently him and co-star Martin Freeman aren’t too friendly and neither are terribly interested in doing more Sherlock.
All of this has led to speculation that the roles may be recast should the two actors not want to return. Of course, the network could just choose not to continue the show, but it’s still a pretty hot property – despite the falling ratings – and they may not want to kiss it goodbye just yet. As such, recasting could be one potential option going forward, but according to co-creator Mark Gatiss, it’s not something that they’d ever consider.
Speaking to The Daily Star, he said that despite the rumors and speculation, they won’t make more Sherlock unless Benedict Cumberbatch chooses to return to play the iconic detective:
“We couldn’t do it without him, of course not. We couldn’t recast Sherlock. It’s not a show we’re just churning out. It’s a special thing and we couldn’t do it without Benedict. We’re very lucky to have the keys to Baker Street at the moment. Benedict and Martin have become the definitive Holmes and Watson of our age.”
We have to agree with Gatiss here. When it comes to the show, it’s Cumberbatch or bust. He’s really the beating heart of Sherlock and without him, there’s not much of a point in continuing on. Whether or not he’ll end up returning is still up for debate, but unfortunately, it’s not looking too likely.
Everything we’ve seen and heard has indicated that season 4 was the last outing for the series and like we said before, the actor is beyond busy at the moment – not even being able to find time to shoot his scenes for Avengers: Infinity War. We won’t say it’s an impossibility for Sherlock to end up with a fifth season, but at this stage, we wouldn’t hold our breath.
