Robert Downey Jr. wants the Sherlock Holmes franchise to be like that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU is arguably one of the most impressive franchises out there, with over 20 films based on the comics thus far. Downey Jr. himself played the lead role of Iron Man for years, before his character made the ultimate sacrifice to stop Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.
While Downey Jr.'s best known role may be Tony Stark, he has also portrayed the character of Sherlock Holmes within the eponymous franchise since 2009. Both Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows had strong commercial showings, highlighting the franchise's potential through pulling in over $1 billion at the box office. While Sherlock Holmes 3 has been stuck in development for several years now, the film is set to premiere in 2021 with Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as John Watson.
During a conversation at Fast Company's Innovation Festival, Downey Jr. reveals that he wants to expand the Sherlock Holmes franchise in a way that's reminiscent of the MCU. He starts by emphasizing that the mystery film space has yet to have one dominating franchise. Considering Arthur Conan Doyle's stories are so well known, Downey Jr. believes it's only natural that Sherlock Holmes 3 helps build out the world even further, similar to how the MCU is so well developed. You can catch Downey Jr.'s full quote on this below:
“At this point, 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. 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?”
Downey Jr. wouldn't be the first one to try and emulate the MCU's success; for instance, Universal's attempts at a Dark Universe franchise have been met with limited degrees of success. Yet Downey Jr. has what others don't - years of experience working directly with Marvel directors and producers. In addition, Downey Jr.'s time in the MCU has elevated his star power to become one of the most recognizable actors out there, which will undoubtedly attract viewers to his next major project.
While some Marvel fans may be hoping that Tony Stark will return - at least briefly - in future films, Downey Jr. has firmly ruled out the possibility and confirmed he's stepping back from the MCU. That being said, it seems Downey Jr. has found his next big project in expanding the Sherlock Holmes franchise. While it's clear that developing an entire universe will be a challenge, it seems that Downey Jr. has all the tricks of the trade needed to fully build out the greater world of Sherlock Holmes.
Source: Fast Company
