AVENGERS: ENDGAME Star Robert Downey Jr. Wants To Build A Cinematic Universe After SHERLOCK HOLMES 3

AVENGERS: ENDGAME Star Robert Downey Jr. Wants To Build A Cinematic Universe After SHERLOCK HOLMES 3

Ahead of the release of Sherlock Holmes 3, Robert Downey Jr. has revealed that he's hoping the threequel will open the door to a cinematic universe revolving around the character and the world he inhabits.

By JoshWilding - Oct 06, 2020 02:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Sherlock Holmes
Source: Fast Company

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.

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bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 10/6/2020, 2:23 AM
I doubt this Sherlock Holmes universe lends itself for a cinematic universe. That said, I really liked the first two and am really looking forward to the third one. No way that's gonna be released next year though
Origame
Origame - 10/6/2020, 3:36 AM
@bkmeijer - especially since a) there aren't a lot of characters that have spun off of sherlock holmes. You'd basically have to make enola holmes for this universe and maybe a mycroft or watson movie and thats it. And b) all we'd be getting are mystery stories. Superheroes have led to different genres and characters with various ways of solving problems. A "mysteryverse" is just gonna be solving crimes and beating people up.
dracula
dracula - 10/6/2020, 2:27 AM


Seriously a sherlock holmes universe would never work, Irene Alder, possibly could work on her own, but they killed her off.

If you want to do a shared universe with Sherlock Holmes, go the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen/Penny Dreadful route. Plenty of great classic books that could be fit into the same world. Always wished Sherlock Holmes had been used in Penny Dreadful, surprised he wasnt in League, isn't Moriarty the villain of that comic
Blergh
Blergh - 10/6/2020, 3:56 AM
@dracula - Well her death will certainly be reversed in this one with McAdams apparently being set to appear.
But I'm with you, Sherlock Holmes doesn't lend itself for that, if anything I'd be for Downey and Law to reprise their roles for multiple more movies adapting Doyle stories.
But seeing how long it took for a third movie to come our way I doubt it
dracula
dracula - 10/6/2020, 2:29 AM
Seriously for a good shared universe, you need good writing and variety in the stories they tell, if every movie is just going to be a mystery movie, would get boring
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 10/6/2020, 8:32 AM
@dracula - Universal had the right idea with it's Dark Universe concept and they blew it. Only certain properties can work as a cohesive shared universe. I do think there is a lot of potential for one in the horror genre.
RageDriver2401
RageDriver2401 - 10/6/2020, 2:30 AM
I really like that iteration of Sherlock Holmes, I'd even go as far as calling it my favourite one, and I definitely want to see a couple of more movies from that series, but spin-offs and universes and what not? Nope.
MarvelousMarty
MarvelousMarty - 10/6/2020, 2:30 AM
Penny Dreadful was mostly fantastic, had so much spin off potential. Sherlock would have been a great addition.
dracula
dracula - 10/6/2020, 2:37 AM
@MarvelousMarty - Surprised he never showed up, would have fit perfectly. Too bad City Of Angels was cancelled
TREE24K
TREE24K - 10/6/2020, 8:58 AM
@dracula - I haven't gotten around to City of Angels. How was it?
Amuro
Amuro - 10/6/2020, 2:32 AM
Actually, there might be some potential but they need to be very careful about what they are doing. Sherlock Holmes could very well confront Jack the Ripper, Arsene Lupin or Fantomas (a fictional terrorist mastermind who unleashed full terror in Paris in the beginning of the 20th century, disguising himself to accomplish almost supernatural feats while humiliating the french police), and a character like Irene Adler also has a lot of potential.
MUTO123
MUTO123 - 10/6/2020, 2:35 AM
Studios outside of Marvel have struggled to create a cinematic universe, with Legendary's "MonsterVerse" perhaps the most famous example of one that's been a complete and utter failure.

Someone would like a word with you...

Amuro
Amuro - 10/6/2020, 2:42 AM
@MUTO123 - Let's not forget the Hanna-Barberaverse with the Scooby-Doo animated movie that tasted nothing like the mystery-solving series of our youth, instead trying to build a cinematic universe that absolutely no one wanted or cared about.
Blergh
Blergh - 10/6/2020, 3:58 AM
@MUTO123 - let's be honest here: such universes only work when the material lends itself for that.
Marvel and DC makes sense given the way their stories are told but it also took AGES for that to genuinely work and I'm still dying on the hill that the success of Iron Man wasn't calculated or planned.

The monster verse could have worked if they didn't try SO HARD to make it happen.
Should have started with Dracula, went on with more solo movies and THEN having them clash.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 10/6/2020, 8:34 AM
@Blergh - They did start with Dracula. Dracula Untold was their first attempt. It was received poorly and they ignored it and made The Mummy which destroyed any steam it had left.
Shroombeast
Shroombeast - 10/6/2020, 2:42 AM
"Studios outside of Marvel have struggled to create a cinematic universe, with Legendary's "MonsterVerse" perhaps the most famous example of one that's been a complete and utter failure."

See, this is that unprofessional Josh Wilding personal bias showing itself again. Two of the three MV films were critically and financially successful and while the third disappointed in those categories, it wasn't a complete failure and was still very well received by fans. If you want to cite an example of a failed cinematic universe, Universal's Dark Universe is the one to go with.

Hell, even DC's cinematic Universe has been a mixed bag and a mess at best.
whatevtrev
whatevtrev - 10/6/2020, 2:54 AM
@Shroombeast - I thought that whilst reading. I thought the MV had done pretty well so far apart from the third, and that can probably be attributed to poor reviews. I’m sure if the next one gets great review it’ll do fine. Whether or not it will get good reviews is a different matter, I don’t have too much faith in Adam Wingard.
whatevtrev
whatevtrev - 10/6/2020, 2:59 AM
Also, compare the worldwide box office of the first three MCU films to the first three MV films and it’s doing pretty much exactly the same
Blergh
Blergh - 10/6/2020, 4:00 AM
@Shroombeast - just for clarity: wich movies do you consider part of the Monster-Verse?

The Mummy, as far as I know, was the first and only movie in that universe.
As Dracula Untold has been disowned as a part of the franchise and The Invisible Man isn't set in it either anymore.
LameLuka
LameLuka - 10/6/2020, 6:12 AM
@Blergh - the one with Godzilla and Kong
LameLuka
LameLuka - 10/6/2020, 6:12 AM
@Shroombeast - all 3 Monsterverse movies were enjoyable for me. Bring on Godzilla vs Kong
whatevtrev
whatevtrev - 10/6/2020, 6:36 AM
@Blergh - That's the Dark Universe. The MonsterVerse is Godzilla & Kong
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 10/6/2020, 8:36 AM
@whatevtrev - Can we call it the KaijuVerse instead? Everytime I hear of MonsterVerse it sounds like the Universal Studios Monsters.
Blergh
Blergh - 10/6/2020, 1:54 PM
@whatevtrev - ah, that's my bad. Sry
dracula
dracula - 10/6/2020, 2:43 AM
Take Sherlock Holmes and throw in Dracula, Frankenstein, Mr Hyde and others characters from books of the time period and you can have a great cinematic universe
Amuro
Amuro - 10/6/2020, 2:47 AM
@dracula - I really don't want to see Sherlock Holmes with genuine supernatural forces. The only paranormal mystery he has ever solved in canon was an hoax for good reasons.
Amuro
Amuro - 10/6/2020, 2:50 AM
@Amuro - That being said, the end of the first movie was ambiguous enough, despite Blackwood being clearly identified as a fraud.
dracula
dracula - 10/6/2020, 3:07 AM
@Amuro - Well technically of the three I named, only Dracula is supernatural, others are products of science. Although not like Holmes himself is not open to the supernatural, there is the quote
"Once you eliminate the impossible whatever remains no matter how improbable must be the truth"
roxas1003
roxas1003 - 10/6/2020, 2:47 AM
The only person from the movies who I think would make a good spin off would be Rachel McAdams as Irene.
dracula
dracula - 10/6/2020, 2:50 AM
@roxas1003 - and they killed her in the second movie
Solarkalel85
Solarkalel85 - 10/6/2020, 5:34 AM
@dracula - ah that was all just smoke and mirrors :)
Saintsinnister
Saintsinnister - 10/6/2020, 2:53 AM
They have already drained the Holmes character dry. Literally the most filmed character in history. Enola Holmes being the latest cash grab on the name. An updated television series like the one the BBC put out in the 80s would be alright. But Holmes was never really an action driven character originally. Very dry.
Odin
Odin - 10/6/2020, 3:07 AM
No please, no more new cinematic universes.
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