Susan Downey, who produced the first two films, will make the call whether her husband returns as the iconic detective.

Robert Downey Jr. says his wife decides if there will be a third Sherlock Holmes movie

Susan Downey, who produced the first two films, will make the call whether her husband returns as the iconic detective.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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May 20, 2026 12:33 p.m. ET

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Robert Downey Jr. in 2009's 'Sherlock Holmes'. Credit:

- Robert Downey Jr. says "people are talking" about a third *Sherlock Holmes* film.

- The Oscar winner revealed that it's ultimately his wife's call.

- Robert Downey Jr.'s wife, Susan Downey, is a producer on the franchise.

The mystery of just who is responsible for deciding if a third *Sherlock Holmes* movie happens has been solved.

It's somehow been 15 years since the last installment in the franchise, *Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows*, but the past decade-plus has been filled with rumors and reports of another film in the series. And while you would think that star Robert Downey Jr. would have the final say, it's actually his better half.

“I don’t know,” Downey told the Associated Press of a new *Sherlock Holmes*. “People are talking about it."

Downey then nodded in the direction of his wife, Susan, saying, "She’s the producer" and will “have the last word." Of *Sherlock*'s future, she said, “It’s the greatest mystery.”

Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey in 2025.

Dave Benett/VF25/WireImage

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Directed by Guy Ritchie (and produced by Susan), 2009's *Sherlock Holmes* introduced Downey's version of the iconic detective, with Jude Law starring as loyal sidekick Dr. John Watson and Rachel McAdams as charming thief Irene Adler. The team reunited for *Game of Shadows* just two years later.

Both films were massive hits, earning over $540 million at the global box office. Despite the success, there have been countless starts and stops on making a third film. In 2016, ** confirmed that a writers' room was in progress to craft a story and script. Then, in 2019, it was reported that *Rocketman* filmmaker Dexter Fletcher would be stepping in for Ritchie as director. And yet, just recently, Ritchie spoke about wanting to return to the franchise.

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"I’d love to,” he told *Collider* of a new *Sherlock* film on May 14. “I adore Downey, and I adored making those two movies.

"Look," Downey continued. "I think it’s just honestly a question of just aligning our schedules. I know the appetite for it’s there, but the appetite for it from our side is there, too. So, we’d love to make that happen. I just don’t know how it’s going to happen. It’s amazing that it hasn’t happened.”

In the meantime, Ritchie has been getting his fix as a producer and director on Prime Video's *Young Sherlock* series.

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Source: “EW Thriller”