It’s Officially The End Of An Era For Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes

It’s the end of an era for Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes, and the series will probably never be the same again. One of the key non-Tony Stark roles in the post-wilderness career of Robert Downey Jr. is Sherlock Holmes, the starring and title character in the two Guy Ritchie films from 2009 and 2011.

Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows also star Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty, Mark Strong as Lord Henry Blackwood, and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. The films are action-packed with all the style you would expect from a Ritchie movie and the mystery storytelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s books.

It’s been over 15 years since that last Sherlock Holmes film, and people have been patiently waiting for the next iteration. Every year after 2011, the odds looked less and less. As Ritchie went on to direct 11 other films since, it’s become apparent he was probably not going to be the director for whatever came next.

Still, most people assumed he would be involved in some fashion, but in May 2026, in an interview with Collider, Ritchie made it sound like he was as in the dark about the future of the series as any fan, suggesting he’s not involved with the series anymore. While he said he would like to be involved with a third film, he also said, “It’s amazing that it hasn’t happened.” Read: I haven’t a clue what’s going on with the series.

It seems like we are well and truly past the time for a third Sherlock Holmes film, at least one with Ritchie attached, especially considering he’s involved with another Sherlock Holmes property, Young Sherlock. We can unofficially call it over on the Ritchie-Downey, Jr.-Holmes era, as sad as that is to say.

Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock Has Been Renewed For A Second Season

One of the signs that Guy Ritchie has moved past his Sherlock Holmes movies is that he is one of the showrunners on Young Sherlock, the Prime Video mystery series inspired by Andre Lane’s Young Sherlock Holmes novels. If Ritchie was interested in doing another Sherlock story, and it wasn’t Sherlock Holmes 3, you can be pretty sure that he’s over it.

Young Sherlock stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the titular detective, portraying a 19-year-old version of the famous character. This Holmes is an amateur investigator and a bit of an undisciplined scamp. When a murder at Oxford results in Holmes being accused of the crime, he decides to solve the mystery himself and clear his name.

The series premiered in March 2026, and a month later, it was renewed for another season with Ritchie reportedly set to direct the first episode. Season 1 earned an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and this could be the start of a new winning franchise for the streamer.

Will Sherlock Holmes 3 Ever Happen?

Just because Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. won’t be involved doesn’t mean it’s impossible that we’ll see Sherlock Holmes 3 at some point. The film has been discussed for years since the second movie premiered, with production delays and other issues presenting difficulties along the way.

Robert Downey Jr., despite distancing himself from the project, has suggested that the film hasn’t been completely forgotten, jokingly saying that, “It’s the greatest mystery,” as to whether his wife, Susan Downey, the producer of the series, will give it the greenlight. All hope is not lost for Sherlock Holmes 3.

Release Date

December 25, 2009

Runtime

129 minutes

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