Henry Cavill co-stars as Sherlock Holmes in theEnola Holmesmovie, and while he’s excellent in the role, there’s no need for a Sherlock spinoff of the franchise.Based onTheEnola Holmes Mysteriesbook seriesby Nancy Springer,Enola HolmesandEnola Holmes2follow the titular, and lesser-known Holmes sibling, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Enola may not be an original character from Arthur Conan Doyle canon, but she is surrounded by the British detective novelist’s greatest literary heroes and villains, including, of course, Sherlock Holmes, played by Superman himself, Henry Cavill.
Cavill joined the ranks ofactors who have played Sherlock Holmeswhen he appeared in Netflix’s 2020Enola Holmes, reprising the role for the 2022 sequel. While Sherlock is not the star ofEnola Holmes, he plays a critical role in both films, both as a foil and supporter of his younger sister. In the first film, Sherlock comes to recognize his sister’s talent for detective work, but it’s the second film where he gets a bit more to do.With his increased role in theEnola Holmesuniverse, some have wondered if there will be a Sherlock “spinoff”, but that’s a bad idea.
An Enola Holmes Sherlock Spinoff Would Be Unnecessary
There Is Plenty Of Other Sherlock Media To Consume
AnEnola Holmesspinoff movie is not happening, and there are no plans to do so anytime soon. That’s a good thing becauseEnola Holmesis its own story. There areplenty of Sherlock Holmes moviesand TV shows, there doesn’t need to be another based off the one series that’s managed to find a completely different angle on the story. It doesn’t make much sense to have a unique spinoff of a story revert to the original text. If someone wants to make a Sherlock Holmes movie, they can do so. It doesn’t need to come fromEnola Holmes.
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Asking for a Sherlock spinoff is a little like asking for a show based around the bar Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) used to frequent, forgetting that that very story is what birthedFrasierin the first place. If someone wants that show, they’re in luck, they can just go watch the many seasons ofCheers. It’s the same for Sherlock Holmes andEnola Holmes. If someone wants to see the supporting character fromEnola Holmesso badly, there is no shortage of media for them to consume.
Nancy Springer has another pastiche series based on the legendary Robin Hood, titledTales of Rowan Hood.
It completely ignores the point ofEnola Holmesto try an work a spinoff from it. The whole point ofEnola Holmesis that it’s a pastiche of theSherlock Holmesstories. It isn’t simply a side quest for Sherlock and some other characters.Enola’s journey is supposed to compare to Sherlock’s, and show how a young, female detective may have a much different story than a young man in Victorian-era England. It’s also a commentary on living in the shadow of famous family members. A Sherlock spinoff ignores those themes.
Henry Cavill’s Sherlock Works Best As Enola’s Foil
This Version Of Sherlock Has Already Gone Through His Arc
As great a character as Sherlock Holmes is,this version of Sherlock inEnola Holmesworks best as Enola’s support or foil, depending on what the case is. This version of Sherlock is already wildly famous, having solved numerous cases and met many of the villains in his rogue’s gallery. There are not many more places for Sherlock to go in this universe, his story is more or less already told unless the story writers want to create some whole new conflict for him. That’s why he’s such an excellent supporting character for Enola.
He’s been through a lot of what Enola is going through and can act as a guide for her. It would not be particularly interesting if it was suddenly revealed he had an arc to go through himself. It may make the audience question what business he had giving advice in the first place. Robin Williams as Sean Maguire is a fascinating character inGood Will Hunting, but a movie that followed him after the events ofGood Will Huntingwould not be all that interesting.
Sherlock can be interesting, have a minor arc, and be well-written, but it should all be in service to telling the story ofEnola HolmesandEnola Holmes 2.
He, like Sherlock inEnola Holmes, is a foil and a support for the real main character. Sherlock can be interesting, have a minor arc, and be well-written, but it should all be in service to telling the story ofEnola HolmesandEnola Holmes 2. Furthermore,Cavill has that wizened personality that makes him perfect for a version of Sherlock who butts heads with his sister as much as he looks on proudlyat her accomplishments.
Cavill Wants Enola Holmes' Universe To Stay Enola’s
This Sherlock Holmes Is Not Himself Without Enola
Henry Cavill also doesn’t have much of an interest in playing Sherlock Holmes in his own spinoff universe. According to Cavill (viaTheWrap),
“This universe is very much Enola’s, so she’ll always be involved. I think it’s important to make that connection between the two characters.”
To Cavill, this is a story that belongs to Enola Sherlock. It’s not some shared universe franchise set in Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary world. Cavill has had plenty of frustrating franchise roles and moments in his career. He may be the best person to listen to when it comes to the issues of trying to make a multiverse out of one story. He’s seen firsthand how a beloved story can lose its way when it starts to become a farm for more and more movies.
It’s a mature and reasonable take, and one that he’s in a unique position to make. He understands that his Sherlock does not exist without Enola. It’s Enola who brings his character to life and makes him unique.A story without her would be a story without his version of Sherlock Holmes, and there would be no point to that.
Will Sherlock Holmes Appear In Enola Holmes 3?
Henry Cavill Should Return For The Third Movie In The Series
Enola Holmes 3has been announcedand while a script has been developed, little else has been shared. As a Netflix project, featuring two of Netflix’s biggest stars, one of whom, Millie Bobby Brown, is a homegrown talent,it’s very likely the film will eventually arrive. At the end ofEnola Holmes 2, Sherlock Holmes is alive and well, and he and Enola still have plenty of reasons to work together in the future, particularly with Enola’s new detective shop. Henry Cavill should be playing Sherlock again. Just let it be in anEnola Holmesmovie and not a spinoff.
