Benedict Cumberbatch acknowledges John Watson. Both Cumberbatch and Freeman have won Emmys for their performances.
Despite the show's immense popularity, it's been unclear whether there's a future for Sherlock for some time. Following a lengthy gap between seasons 3 and 4, Sherlock's fourth batch of episodes arrived in 2017. It was a highly-anticipated season following a shocking cliffhanger involving Sherlock's nemesis Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott), but the actual responses to the three episodes were decidedly mixed among the fan base. Sherlock season 4, episode 3 ended with what can be seen as a neatly tied-up conclusion, thus leaving the question of whether there could be more wide open.
Cumberbatch recently sat down with The Courier and was asked about the possibility of Sherlock getting a fifth season. For fans who are clinging to the idea of more episodes, they don't necessarily have a reason to be disappointed, but they should proceed with caution. Cumberbatch was unwilling to say no to more Sherlock, but he did it it wouldn't happen for a while. Cumberbatch said:
"I'm the worst person to ask on this because I never say never, obviously. But I don't know. And I'm the worst person to ask because my slate's pretty, pretty full at the moment, as is Martin [Freeman, Watson] and all the other key players involved. So, who knows? Maybe one day, if the script's right. And I say 'the script,' maybe it could be a film rather than the series. Who knows? But anyway, not for now."
It's fair to say virtually all the big names involved with Sherlock are quite busy. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
With all that in mind, it's hard to say when a Sherlock season 5 would be feasible. Cumberbatch's suggestion of a film has some merit and could even be easier to put together than another run of three hour-and-a-half episodes. However, one also has to consider whether more Sherlock is necessary. The story of Sherlock and John was wrapped up fairly well in the last episode, and some might wish to just let the show be. On the other hand, there are always more Sherlock Holmes stories to dig into, and there's hope among some fans that future installments could provide a more satisfying bit of closure. Like Cumberbatch said, it's good to never say never, but it might be best to not get one's hopes up too high.
Source: Collider