Martin Freeman says Sherlock pressure too high

Sherlock fans have been clamoring for a fifth season ever since the season four finale back at the beginning of 2017.

And while devotees knew another season would be a long time coming, it might be an even longer wait than we think. Martin Freeman, who plays Watson to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, has said that fan pressure has taken some of the fun out of making Sherlock.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Freeman says that it’s difficult not only to maintain the high quality the Sherlock episodes started with, but to try to improve upon that quality to meet fan expectations.

“But Sherlock was frankly notably high quality from the outset. And when you start [that high] it’s pretty hard to maintain that,” Freeman said. “Being in that show, it is a mini-Beatles thing. People’s expectations, some of it’s not fun anymore.”

Scheduling to film a new season of Sherlock was already a nightmare, given Freeman and Cumberbatch’s high profile demand. It may even be more likely that we’d see them on screen together in a future Marvel movie before we see another season of Sherlock —  Freeman having a recurring role as Everett Ross (Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther) and Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange (Dr. Strange, Thor: Ragnarok).

Freeman may be burned out on Sherlock for the time being, but after an extended break there’s no telling how he may feel about getting back into it. All parties involved – Cumberbatch and writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat – could only benefit from coming back to it with fresh eyes and minds.

Next: Alan Cumming to feature in new season of Doctor Who

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