Over the course of seven years, we've had the pleasure of following Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) for thirteen episodes of crime-solving shenanigans, and for the most part, they've been extremely well-crafted reimaginings of Arthur Conan Doyle's creation. The series has also built up a sizeable and passionate following, which puts all the more pressure on the creators and actors to top themselves each season, and according to Martin Freeman, that pressure is making Sherlock far less fun than it used to be.
Martin Freeman recently spoke with The Telegraph and was asked whether there was any talk about a fifth season of Sherlock. "Not massively," Freeman said. "Um… I think after series four [it] felt like a pause. I think we felt we’d done it for a bit now. And part of it, speaking for myself is [due to] the reception of it." The last season of Sherlock wasn't received quite as enthusiastically as previous seasons, and Freeman commented that it seemed impossible to build on the high expectation of fans.
To be absolutely honest, it [was] kind of impossible. Sherlock became the animal that it became immediately. Whereas even with [the U.K. version of] The Office, it was a slow burn. But Sherlock was frankly notably high quality from the outset. And when you start [that high] it’s pretty hard to maintain that. Being in that show, it is a mini-Beatles thing. People’s expectations, some of it’s not fun anymore. It’s not a thing to be enjoyed, it’s a thing of: ‘You better f—ing do this, otherwise, you’re a c—.’ That’s not fun anymore.
As both Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch are in high demand for many other projects, the stretch between seasons has increased to several years, which no doubt has contributed to the growing expectations of fans, but it's a shame to hear that Martin Freeman isn't having quite as much fun as he used to.
Both Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch are quite active in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Freeman having recently appeared in BLACK PANTHER and Cumberbatch set to reprise his role of Doctor Strange in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR on April 27, 2018.