It seems Robert Downey Jr. is keen to launch a cinematic universe spinning out of the events of Sherlock Holmes 3.
The actor is no stranger to shared worlds after playing Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2009, and it was during the Fast Company’s Innovation Festival that he and wife/producing partner Susan Downey teased plans to launch their own "mystery-verse."
"We really feel that there is not a mystery-verse built out anywhere, and Conan Doyle is the definitive voice in that arena, I think, to this day," Downey Jr. explained. "So to me, why do a third movie if you're not going to be able to spin off into some real gems of diversity and other times and elements?"
"We think there’s an opportunity to build it out more," Susan added. "Spinoff characters from a third movie, to see what's going on in the television landscape, to see what WarnerMedia is starting to build out, things with HBO and HBO Max."
Downey Jr. was quick to stress that the plan isn't just to launch an MCU copycat. "We're not repeaters, we don't want to just do what’s been done. But I think the model itself has become much more dimensionalized than it was before."
Studios outside of Marvel have struggled to create a cinematic universe, with Legendary's "MonsterVerse" perhaps the most famous example of one that turned out to be a complete and utter failure. The Sherlock Holmes franchise certainly has some potential, though it's hard to imagine which characters could be worthy of their own big and small screen spinoffs beyond that planned third instalment.
Right now, Sherlock Holmes 3 is set to be released on December 22nd, 2021, but that's likely to change.