Sherlock Holmes could be getting two HBO Max spin-offs – with Robert Downey Jr. producing

The Sherlock Holmes extended universe could be one step closer to actually happening amid reports two spin-off shows are in the works. Robert Downey Jr.’s production company is eyeing up the series for HBO Max.

As per the Hollywood Reporter, these two shows would likely be based on detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s thought they may introduce characters to the universe not brought into the previous films.

There’s no news yet on whether these will see Downey Jr. heading back to Baker Street once again, but Team Downey would be on board to executive produce both shows, just as they did for the 2009 and 2011 Guy Ritchie films. 

Downey Jr. played the iconic detective alongside Jude Law’s John Watson in the original movies. The pair were due to reunite for a third outing as well but this has yet to materialize. The latest update on that came in 2021, when the film was originally supposed to be out, as the creative team spoke of pandemic delays. 

Team Downey’s Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell as well as Lionel Wigram are all also reportedly on board as exec producers. However, reps for HBO Max and Warner Bros have declined to comment on the reports.

If the projects are greenlit, they would follow in HBO Max’s recent footsteps of acquiring a plethora of scripted spin-off series for the streaming platform. Among these, James Gunn’s Suicide Squad spin-off Peacemaker is already tapped for a second season while Game of Thrones prequels are in the pipeline as well. 

Matt Reeves is also behind a new show focusing on Colin Farrell’s Penguin from The Batman, with other potential spin-offs from the film lined up too. Meanwhile, in other streaming Sherlock news, Netflix has its own ongoing version of Enola Holmes continuing with a sequel.

Stumped over what to watch next? Check out our list of the 100 best TV shows of all time.