Sherlock Star Martin Freeman Elaborates On His Controversial Fandom Comments

Two months ago, Black Panther‘s Martin Freeman drew the ire of the Sherlock community after stating that the hit BBC detective series was no longer fun due to at-times overwhelmingly pressure from the show’s rabid fans.

He also believes the cult series is fast approaching the end of its tether, leading many to conclude that, at this point, a fifth season is little more than pie in the sky.

When it comes to his criticism of Sherlock‘s impassioned fanbase, though, Martin Freeman also caught flak from co-star Benedict Cumberbatch (Avengers: Infinity War), with whom he’s shared experiences in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Trilogy. And, well, let’s just say that their friendship appears to be on the rocks.

Fast forward to now, and the John Watson actor has now elaborated on his criticism thanks to an exhaustive interview with The Daily Beast. Asked if oppressive expectations are the new norm, Freeman replied as so:

I think so. And in a way, it’s the new normal if you’re lucky, because if you’re in something that has a lot of fans, that’s better than being in something that has no fans. My point with Sherlock was that those expectations can be heavy. There’s a certain aspect that some fans are going to run with the ball and make their own thing out of your show—which is completely fair enough, as long as we all acknowledge that that is what is happening. I think when you get into a slightly tail-wagging-the-dog scenario, that gets boring, for me.

So when people insist that Sherlock is supposed to be this show, when we decide what show it is, it’s like, ‘No, this is actually the show we’re making, and that we’ve always made. I know you want to see this happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to have to happen.’ I want all kinds of things, but they’re not going to happen in life. So that’s what gets, frankly, wearing.

Suffice it to say, Martin Freeman is beginning to grow weary of those outspoken viewers who have their own pre-conceived ideas and expectations about how Sherlock should progress. But make no mistake, he’s still a huge fan of the series, and isn’t about to close the door on something that’s still so important to his life – personally and professionally.

He concluded:

But the show itself, I’m well aware of its importance in my life, both professionally and personally, because I love the show. I’m a fan of the show. Unfortunately, that’s the joy of being quoted out of context, and joy of newspapers needing a headline, even though the headline is not something I ever said at any point in the interview.

The fate of Sherlock is still up in the air at this point, what with Benedict Cumberbatch busy with Infinity War and his Patrick Melrose series. Freeman, on the other hand, is said to be plotting another appearance(s) in the MCU. As always, watch this space for more.