Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals What It Would Take for Him to Return to Play SHERLOCK

It is no secret that fans of the fantastic BBC series Sherlock have been eagerly awaiting news of a fifth season ever since the show wrapped in 2017.

The two stars of the series started out in 2010 as lesser-known actors, but as the show built, their careers skyrocketed, and it became less and less feasible to see them return to this incredibly well-written story.

Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat has often been asked over the years if the show could return, and while he has remained optimistic, the actors are just as pivotal to that next season, and Sherlock himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, has weighed in on the possibility.

Cumberbatch has gone on to play a variety of characters, including Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as starring roles in several dramatic films which have garnered him two Academy Award nominations.

When asked what would it take for Cumberbatch to reprise his role as Sherlock Holmes, the actor responded, “A lot of money,” he says, joking, before adding, “It would take it to be better than it ever was. You leave them or yourselves wanting more. There’s always that itch to scratch, but I think it would have to be the superlative version of what we’ve already achieved.”  

Back when Sherlock took off, Cumberbatch attended a fan event in, he thinks it was Australia, though he can’t recall precisely, and issued a road map for where he hoped to take his career.

“I went, ‘Guys, I know you really like Sherlock, but if you’re with me, I’m not going to always do the same thing,’” he remembers saying.

“‘I’m not going to always be the Benedict that you expect. You might not like some of the stuff I do. I may be cute and cuddly to you at times, or ugly and untouchable. But I want to stretch myself and surprise myself and surprise you.’”  

It was difficult for the actor to go from one long-running character to another at Marvel, and still be considered for a diverse array of roles. But he hopes to continue playing different types of characters, and stretching himself as an actor.

I can appreciate all that, and still want to see him make more episodes of Sherlock. That show was just the best iteration of those stories told on screen, and I would love to revisit it. Hopefully the creators can hatch a story that Cumberbatch and his co-star Martin Freeman, who played John Watson, can’t turn down.

via: Variety