Enola Holmes: No, Henry Cavill Won't Be Getting A Sherlock Spinoff — & That's A Good Thing

Henry Cavill co-stars as Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes movie, and while he's excellent in the role, there's no need for a Sherlock spinoff of the franchise. Based on TheEnola Holmes Mysteries book series by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2 follow 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 of actors who have played Sherlock Holmes when he appeared in Netflix's 2020 Enola Holmes, reprising the role for the 2022 sequel. While Sherlock is not the star of Enola 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 the Enola Holmes universe, 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

An Enola Holmes spinoff movie is not happening, and there are no plans to do so anytime soon. That's a good thing because Enola Holmes is its own story. There are plenty of Sherlock Holmes movies and 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 from Enola Holmes.

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 birthed Frasier in the first place. If someone wants that show, they're in luck, they can just go watch the many seasons of Cheers. It's the same for Sherlock Holmes and Enola Holmes. If someone wants to see the supporting character from Enola Holmes so badly, there is no shortage of media for them to consume.

It completely ignores the point of Enola Holmes to try an work a spinoff from it. The whole point of Enola Holmes is that it's a pastiche of the Sherlock Holmes stories. 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 in Enola Holmes works 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 in Good Will Hunting, but a movie that followed him after the events of Good Will Hunting would not be all that interesting.

He, like Sherlock in Enola 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 of Enola Holmes and Enola 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 proudly at 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 (via TheWrap),

"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 3 has been announced and 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 of Enola 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 an Enola Holmes movie and not a spinoff.

Enola Holmes

Created by

Nancy Springer, Harry Bradbeer, Jack Thorne

First Film

Enola Holmes

Latest Film

Enola Holmes 2

Upcoming Films

Enola Holmes 3

Cast

Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge, Adeel Akhtar, Susan Wokoma, David Thewlis, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Himesh Patel

Movie(s)

Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes 2, Enola Holmes 3

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