A decade after Robert Downey Jr. last played Sherlock Holmes on the big screen, he’s finally set to return to the role. Rocketman’s Dexter Fletcher has been Sherlock Holmes movie to follow on from Guy Ritchie’s initial two entries, with Downey and Jude Law reprising their roles as Holmes and Watson.
There are a bunch of classic Holmes stories that the new movie could adapt while still following on from the previous movie, A Game of Shadows. The last two movies have had original stories, but these original stories don’t compare to Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved mysteries.
Possible Story: The Hound Of The Baskervilles
A common pick for the best Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles sees the iconic detective on the case of an attempted murder inspired by a legendary supernatural dog. It would be exciting to see this timeless tale adapted with the gloomy aesthetic established by Guy Ritchie in the first two movies.
This was Holmes’ first appearance after his apparent death in “The Final Problem,” which heavily inspired A Game of Shadows, so it would be the perfect story to follow on from the previous movie.
Follow A Game Of Shadows: Watson Discovering Holmes Is Alive
Inspired by “The Final Problem,” Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ends with Holmes’ apparent death. To save Watson and Mary, he jumps off a balcony with Moriarty and they plummet into the Reichenbach Falls. In the final scene, Watson receives a package containing Mycroft’s breathing device, suggesting Holmes could be alive. Then, Holmes is seen camouflaged in Watson’s office.
The most obvious way for Sherlock Holmes 3 to follow on from A Game of Shadows would be to start with Watson figuring out that Holmes is alive.
Possible Story: The Reigate Squires
At the beginning of “The Reigate Squires,” Holmes is still reeling from a particularly difficult case in . He takes a trip to Surrey, where he investigates a string of burglaries in which a note written by two people has been left behind.
The tough case Holmes is recovering from at the start of the story could be the Europe-wide conspiracy and near-death experience we saw in A Game of Shadows.
Follow A Game Of Shadows: Mycroft
One of the most delightful surprises in A Game of Shadows was Stephen Fry’s hilariously eccentric performance as Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft Holmes.
Fry’s version of the character instantly became a fan favorite in the 2011 sequel, and it would be a joy to see him back in the next movie.
Possible Story: The Gloria Scott
“The Gloria Scott” sees Holmes recounting the first-ever mystery he solved. There’s a framing narrative that sees an older Holmes telling a story about his younger self, which could be achieved using digital de-aging (which Downey is accustomed to following his tenure with Marvel).
Holmes solved his first case while he was still at college. He stays with a friend over the holidays and ends up investigating a murder linked to his friend’s father’s mysterious past.
Follow A Game Of Shadows: Watson & Mary’s Late Honeymoon
At the end of A Game of Shadows, Watson and Mary were preparing to embark on a late honeymoon after being side-tracked by an attack by Moriarty’s henchmen that ended with Mary being flung from a moving train into a river.
The third movie could open with the couple on their honeymoon, and a still-alive Holmes lurking in the background of their vacation, waiting to surprise his pal with his presence.
Possible Story: Silver Blaze
The costume team behind the first two Downey-starring Sherlock Holmes movies drew some controversy by not featuring the character’s signature deerstalker hat. That could change if the third movie adapts “Silver Blaze,” the first story in which he wore it.
One of the most popular short stories in Sherlock Holmes’ long history, “Silver Blaze” revolves around the search for a missing racehorse.
Follow A Game Of Shadows: Inspector Lestrade
Eddie Marsan has played Inspector Lestrade in Downey’s two previous Sherlock Holmes movies, so it would make sense for the character to reappear in the third movie.
Marsan’s incarnation of Lestrade is shown to be increasingly frustrated with Holmes, who repays him with affectionate ribbing. Still, he relies on Holmes’ help and often brings him out to crime scenes to give his own evaluation.
Possible Story: The Speckled Band
The self-contained story of “The Speckled Band” could subvert the audience’s expectations after the large-scale first Sherlock Holmes movie and the even larger-scale, globetrotting second one.
In solving this classic locked-room mystery, Holmes is required to both save the life of the woman who hired him and figure out how her sister died two years earlier.
Follow A Game Of Shadows: Holmes & Watson’s Struggling Friendship
Holmes and Watson’s friendship has always struggled throughout these movies. Most recently, Watson’s marriage threatened to tear their partnership apart as it left him with less time to solve mysteries with his pal.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law share fantastic chemistry. It’ll be fascinating to see where the third movie goes with their characters’ ever-changing dynamic.
