Robert Downey Jr. Is Ready For ‘Sherlock Holmes 3’

Robert Downey Jr. hasn’t made a “Sherlock Holmes” movie in nearly a decade, but that’s about to change. Warner Bros. ordered a third installment in the franchise earlier this year, and it looks like Downey is preparing to return.

The “Avengers: Infinity War” star took to Twitter to tease fans with a gif from a “Sherlock Holmes” movie. The image shows Sherlock looking up and squinting. “Practicing my Sherlock face,” Downey captioned the image.

Holmes was apparently on Downey’s mind all weekend. He also posted a throwback photo on Instagram to a scene from “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” He had posted another flashback on July 21, asking fans if they missed Holmes and Watson (Jude Law).

Fans assume this means “Sherlock Holmes 3” is going into production soon. With the release date still two years away, however, it isn’t clear when cameras start rolling. Warner Bros. confirmed earlier this year that “Sherlock Holmes 3” is due in theaters on Dec. 25, 2020.

“Narcos” co-creator Chris Brancato wrote the script. While Downey and his co-star Jude Law are set to return, it isn’t clear if Guy Ritchie, who directed the first two movies, will helm the third. However, many producers are returning, including Joel Silver, Susan Downey and Lionel Wigram.

In the seven years since Downey played the famous detective, fans have been watching a modern version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s character on PBS’ “Sherlock.” The British drama, which started in 2010, stars Benedict Cumberbatch, who had plenty of screen time with Downey on “Avengers: Infinity War.” However, the writers and directors decided not to reference their other roles.

In the “Infinity War” Blu-ray commentary, the filmmakers said that a lot of people wanted a “no [expletive], Sherlock” quip in the scene where Downey’s Iron Man and Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange are meeting in the Sanctum Santorum.

“It’s a meta-joke that requires you to be a fan of other movies,” Stephen McFeely explained.

“It’s also a very obvious joke, not that we can’t be accused of having made obvious jokes before,” co-director Joe Russo added. “But I guess it is our movie, so we can pick and choose the obvious jokes we want to put in it.”