Henry Cavill Gives Extremely Disappointing Update On His Beloved Franchise
Sorry folks: Henry Cavill isn't going to be making a Sherlock Holmes spinoff movie anytime soon.
Actor Henry Cavill is disappointing fans – and Netflix executives – by seemingly shooting down the possibility of spinning off his Sherlock Holmes character for his own film. Cavill had been playing the character in two Enola Holmes films, which featured Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown in the lead role, but it doesn’t appear that the film franchise will be expanding anytime soon, according to a new interview he gave The Wrap. Fans began speculating about a possible spinoff after the November 4 release of Enola Holmes 2 revealed an interesting development in a mid-credits scene.
Warning: Spoilers for Enola Holmes 2 follow!
In the scene, actor Himesh Patel is introduced by Enola as Dr. Watson, who (in Sherlock lore) will go on to become Holmes’ best friend and sidekick of sorts, as he documents Sherlock’s cases. If Patel looks familiar to you, it’s likely because of his roles in Yesterday, HBO’s fantastic mini-series Station Eleven, or in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. However, Watson’s cameo isn’t teasing a future film according to Cavill, who says the scene was more of a “that’s all” narrative bookend to any potential storyline.
The scene was also meant to pay off a recurring theme in the film, involving Enola’s concern for her brother’s loneliness and need for friendship.
It should be noted, however, that Henry Cavill didn’t give a firm “no” to a potential spinoff, and left the door open for future Enola Holmes movies, which could still spawn stand-alone Sherlock adventures. “There’s always whisperings of these sort of things, but nothing is ever official until you enter the first day of shooting, and even then until you finish shooting and even then it has to come out.”
The introduction of Watson, however, doesn’t mean Enola has been replaced as the most influential personal figure in his life, a relationship that could still be explored in future films. “There’s a strong emotional connection to Enola there, there’s a similarity in how they’re raised. It allows for a slightly different viewpoint. When it comes to Enola, there’s always this emotionality with the connection, which is otherwise unique to the Enola universe,” he said.
With Marvel actor Benedict Cumberbatch seemingly done playing Sherlock Holmes in the popular BBC series (even Watson actor Martin Freeman has joined the MCU), there’s a decided vacuum in Sherlock Holmes fandom, where a film or TV series is desperately needed. With Cavill so effortlessly embracing the role, a Sherlock spinoff would seem like a no-brainer, so long as he has time when he’s not donning the Superman cape for future appearances in the DC Cinematic Universe as the Man of Steel.
However, a Sherlock spinoff is also unlikely because Henry Cavill has a busy schedule moving forward, even if you aren’t counting his Superman roles. Giant Freakin Robot reported exclusively this summer that Cavill was in negotiations to star in a remake of Frankenstein for Universal, playing the fated doctor who creates the legendary monster. There’s been no official word on those negotiations, or if it is an attempt by the studio to jump-start their failed Dark Universe series of monster movie films.
With Henry Cavill also walking away from his other Netflix franchise, The Witcher, it seems the actor is being a bit picky about the roles he is dedicating his time to, which may mean he isn’t quite ready to take on what will likely be a series of Sherlock Holmes films.
Enola Holmes 2 was an immediate hit for Netflix, scoring in the streamer’s top ten films from day one and ranking among the platform’s most popular films ever.
