Millie Bobby Brown Just Shut Down Henry Cavill’s Sherlock Holmes Spin-Off “We Need More Women on Screen”

Netflix’s The Witcher show made waves when it first announced Henry Cavill would star as the titular monster hunter. What few people expected was to see Superman himself co-starring in a Netflix family film called Enola Holmes a few years later. In the movies, he plays everyone’s favourite British detective, Sherlock Holmes — and fans have spent years hoping Netflix would spin him off into his own show. Now, with Enola Holmes 3 streaming, star and producer Millie Bobby Brown has answered that question directly. And she’s not interested.

Henry Cavill’s Sherlock Holmes In Enola Holmes, Explained

Based on an American book series by Nancy Springer, Enola is Sherlock and Mycroft’s younger sister. Raised by her mother from a young age and taught the basics of jujitsu and logical thinking, Enola is a force to be reckoned with. She even has a deductive reasoning skill that rivals that of Sherlock – a fact that the veteran detective is quick to point out.

Having such a prominent relative would put a lot of pressure on a character like Enola, so it’s great to see that the films made it clear that she was the protagonist of this story, not Sherlock. While he serves as an assistant and a mentor throughout both films (Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2), Sherlock and Mycroft manage to stay away from most of the action.

However brief, Henry Cavill’s performance as Sherlock Holmes in the Netflix movies is simply phenomenal. It is a godsend to see him return to his natural British accent after watching him pull off an American one in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

What A Henry Cavill Sherlock Holmes Spin-Off Could Have Looked Like

We have to consider the first film’s ending. Just before Enola and her mother’s reunion, we get a moment to see Sherlock considering taking Enola under his tutelage. However, he decides against it, leaving with Mycroft and going on to more classic Holmes adventures.

This ending is the perfect introduction to a Netflix show about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft – starring Henry Cavill, of course. His version of the character seems to be more in line with the mental image that many of us have of the character – that’s to say, the polar opposite of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock (played by Robert Downey Jr.) or Benedict Cumberbatch’s.

Why A Sherlock Holmes Spin-Off Made Sense On Paper

Considering the amount of Sherlock Holmes books, novels, and short stories, written throughout Arthur Conan Doyle’s life, it’s safe to say that there’s a ton of material for new Sherlock adventures. It’s almost baffling to see how little of Sherlock’s adventures have been brought to life in live-action. A Netflix show, with its episodic narrative spanning multiple seasons, would be the best way to deal with Sherlock’s cases. Perhaps having a case per season would be the best way to properly adapt Doyle’s narrative style.

That said, it’s important to note the Man of Steel actor’s strained relationship with Netflix since his departure from The Witcher. Although he’s likely to return for Enola Holmes 3, it’s uncertain if he’s currently on good terms with the streaming giant.

What Henry Cavill Has Said About A Sherlock Spin-Off

“I think ‘How is there hope for him?’ would be answered in any future movies were they to happen,” the Superman actor told The Wrap of a potential sequel or spin-off. “There’s always whisperings of these sort of things, but nothing is ever official until you enter the first day of shooting, and even then until you finish shooting and even then it has to come out. Right now that’s a that’s all always brings but I don’t know of anything official just yet.”

So, in short, there’s no word yet about Netflix creating a spin-off focused on Sherlock.

Why Millie Bobby Brown Doesn’t Want A Sherlock Spin-Off

That uncertainty just got a lot more concrete. With Enola Holmes 3 now streaming, Brown was asked point-blank about a Cavill-led Sherlock and Watson spin-off — and she pumped the brakes, saying she’d rather see the franchise make room for more women-led stories. “Men have had their time, and it’s more Enola and more putting women on screen, for me,” Brown told ComicBook.com.

Himesh Patel, who plays a bigger version of Watson in the third film, feels differently. He told the outlet he’d be first in line for a spin-off with Cavill, joking that someone should forward the interview straight to Netflix executives. Combined with Cavill’s own comments treating Sherlock as inseparable from Enola’s story, the math isn’t looking good for a standalone series — and Brown is a producer on the franchise, so her word carries weight.

So, in short: Brown just closed the door on it, at least for now. If Enola Holmes keeps going, she wants the franchise to stay exactly where it’s always been — on Enola, not a Sherlock detour. Patel would take the assignment in a heartbeat, and Cavill has never sounded eager to carry his own spin-off either. For now, this is Enola’s story. Cavill’s Sherlock just gets to visit it.

Again, if there’s one character that’s ever deserved his own show, though, that’d be Enola Holmes’ Sherlock, and having Henry Cavill in the leading role would guarantee another smashing hit for Netflix. Forget James Bond. Forget Superman. Forget Geralt. Forget Cavillrine. This is perfect for Cavill.

Would you like to see Henry Cavill’s Sherlock Holmes get a spin-off Netflix series or movie?