Benedict Cumberbatch Returning To ‘Sherlock’ But Fans Must Wait Until 2016

When Benedict Cumberbatch first appeared in the BBC TV series Sherlock in 2010, he was a respected actor but not widely known outside of Great Britain. Since then, Cumberbatch has appeared in six Oscar-nominated films, including four this year alone, and is one of Hollywood’s busiest actors. His role as the villain Khan in the latest Star Trek film appears to have established him as a certified star.

But the 37-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch will nonetheless return to his roots in a fourth season of Sherlock, the show’s creators say. Cumberbatch will return for three more 90-minute episodes as a present-day version of Sherlock Holmes, the now-iconic Victorian-era “consulting detective” created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Cumberbatch’s co-star Martin Freeman will also be back as Dr. John Watson, Sherlock’s trusty sidekick who is always both several steps behind Sherlock when it comes to solving cases, but well ahead of his friend in the social skills department.

The 42-year-old Freeman’s career has also taken a startling turn toward stardom, as he holds the lead role as Bilbo Baggins in the current, blockbuster Hobbit trilogy. Benedict Cumberbatch also has a role in each of the three Hobbit films, with the third and final installment, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, due in theaters later this year.

Thanks to the two stars’ packed dockets, Sherlock fans will have to wait two more years for the return of the fast-paced mystery series, which airs in the United States as part of the PBS Masterpiece anthology series.

The return of Benedict Cumberbatch and Sherlock was announced at an event in London earlier this week, where show creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss said that though they are planning Sherlock Season 4 for 2016, the BBC has not confirmed any air dates yet.

“It is hard to get everyone back together, because they have become extremely famous,” said Gatiss. “Except for us.”

Benedct Cumberbatch has earlier said that he is committed to continuing Sherlock, no matter how famous he gets.

“I love it too much,” said Cumberbatch. Making [Sherlock] is all about availability. Martin Freeman has the same kind of pressures on him now. It’s a thing of quality not quantity that show – thank God. We started young with it. We started when they meet and we still are young for those roles. There’s no reason why it can’t continue until we get too old.”