‘Sherlock’ Season 4 Cast, Updates: Benedict Cumberbatch Hints at End of Show, Talks Character Development

‘Sherlock’ lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch hinted that season 4 may be the series’ final run. He also talked about his character’s development in the show.

According to the Independent, Cumberbatch hinted that there is a possibility of having season 4 as the show’s final run on the small screen. When asked about the television series’ future, he replied, “We’ll see how this series lands. It’s been great fun to come back and do it. How it will continue in the future, who knows?”

He added, “It’s not just about what any of us want. It’s about what’s actually right for the show, to be honest, and that has to be judged very carefully. Think about the very limited but classic British output of certain shows, and there aren’t that many of them. It’s a painful thing to say, but maybe series four is it. Who knows?”

Cumberbatch stressed that actors and showrunners’ scheduling conflicts may be main reason for the series’ possible end. He said, “This has run longer than most US series. You don’t want to compromise it by continually doing it, just because we could carry it on... There’s lots of stuff to weigh. It’s not just about what we want to do. It’s about what’s right. We’ll see. Really, we will have to see. No one has decided on it, so there’s no yes or no to an end or a beginning.”

According to E! News, Steven Moffat also admitted in a separate interview that although he was willing to push for more seasons, he remained unsure of the series’ fate. The show’s co-creator, writer and executive producer said, "I don't know how long we can keep it going. I'm personally willing but I'm hardly the main draw… I would be moderately surprised if this was the last time we ever made this show. But it absolutely could be."

Meanwhile, according to Collider, Cumberbatch confirmed that season 4 will be the show’s “darkest” season yet. When asked to elaborate, he said, “Myopically dark. You’re talking about the end of the universe darkness. You can’t see in front of you and would walk into everything dark.”

The 40-year old English actor also talked about his character Sherlock Holmes’ evolution in the show saying, “He has moved from being someone who was sociopathic, work-obsessed and slightly amoral, into being someone who has a certain degree of a private life… With his interactions with people, he’s better at what he does. He has to understand the world. That’s very much John’s influence on him. But like a lot of the friendships and relationships in that world, it’s born out of necessity. It makes him better.”

Moffatt said that Sherlock used to favor reason over emotion but has since valued emotion and being more human of the late. Co-creator Mark Gatiss added, “He can do things much better now, but he can never become one of us. Otherwise, he’s not Sherlock Holmes.”

‘Sherlock’ is a British-American crime-drama television series created by Stephen Moffatt and Mark Gatiss for BBC One. Although the series is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective of the same name, the show itself is set in the present day.

Since its original release in 2010, it gained several accolades and nominations including Emmys, BAFTAs and Golden Globe Awards. Season 4 is intended to be released some time in 2017.