RDJ's Only Non-MCU Franchise Started With This This $524M Movie That's Now Streaming & I Still Need A Sequel

Summary Sherlock Holmes is the only non-MCU franchise RDJ starred in, with two successful entries.

The delay in Sherlock Holmes 3 is due to RDJ's busy schedule with the MCU.

RDJ's performance as Holmes was praised, adding charm to the character and his chemistry with Jude Law.

For an actor as prolific as Robert Downey Jr., he has only appeared in one franchise outside the MCU, which has yet to release its third entry, Sherlock Holmes. In 2009, RDJ had just starred in the 2008 mega-hit, Iron Man, which launched the world's largest and most profitable franchise to date, the MCU. However, this period was also early in RDJ's climb back to the top after having a tough number of years in Hollywood where he struggled with addiction and legal troubles.

The actor was always incredibly talented, and considering his career began when he was a child, he had already appeared in numerous projects. However, in all this time, RDJ never landed a spot in major franchises until the MCU and Sherlock Holmes, both of which ended up releasing close together and instantly becoming classics for me. Evidently, the MCU took off in a huge way, and Sherlock Holmes managed to be incredibly successful with its first and second entries, but the franchise appears to have been on an indefinite hold for over a decade.

Related I'm Actually Relieved That The BBC's Sherlock Might Never Be Revived As much as I love the BBC's Sherlock, the latest update on its future makes me feel relieved that a fifth season or movie might never happen.

Sherlock Holmes Is Now On Max & Is RDJ's Only Non-MCU Franchise

Sherlock Holmes Is Available To Stream Now

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RDJ starred as the titular hero from the Arthur Conan Doyle novels in 2009. This initial movie managed to earn a spectacular $524 million against a budget of $90 million (vix Box Office Mojo). This figure becomes even more impressive when compared with Iron Man, which did manage to pull in more with a total box office of $585 million, but that also came about as a result of spending an additional $50 million on the budget of the movie (via Box Office Mojo). Evidently, both franchises were a huge success, but with the MCU sinking hundreds of millions into numerous projects and releasing multiple movies in a year, Sherlock Holmes never stood a chance.

RDJ also starred in other films that could have developed into series, such as Dolittle, but the films failed to capture the public's attention. Outside of franchises, RDJ has experienced considerable success with major films like Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, for which RDJ won an Oscar. However, I can't help but feel a twang of sadness when considering how incredible he was as Holmes, and the lack of development due to the sequels being so stifled. But until the third entry is released, RDJ's Sherlock story remains incomplete.

Why Sherlock Holmes 3 Needs To Happen

Sherlock's Story Is Incomplete

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The thing is, Downey is one of the best performers I have ever seen in the role of Holmes. Similar to his MCU co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch, he is extremely intelligent, and capable of delivering a performance that puts him on the fringe of society, while the character appears to observe and take in everything. RDJ's version of Sherlock Holmes has a certain charm and an unhinged element that adds to the character, and makes the film a joy to watch. Similarly, his co-star in Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law, has excellent chemistry, and delivers an uncanny performance as John Watson.

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The Sherlock Holmes stories also have a wealth of material and adventures that could be adapted and explored, and there is no shortage of ideas about what the third entry could be about. But, perhaps the most definitive reason why Sherlock Holmes 3 needs to be made, is the fact that Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows set it up in no unclear terms. The 2011 sequel ends with Sherlock mysteriously coming back from what appeared to be a sure death, only to raise questions about his escape, and whether his story was truly complete.

Related 4 Upcoming Sherlock Movies & TV Shows Are Strangely Using The Same Trick There are quite a few Sherlock Holmes projects in development for film and television, and most of them are curiously using the same story trick.

Why Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Taking So Long (& Will It Happen?)

Or Will The MCU Block The Way Once Again

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Shortly after A Game of Shadows was released, the third entry in the franchise was confirmed. However, it appears that RDJ's attention and efforts were pulled away to the MCU with an increasingly busy schedule of appearances across the franchise. Then, in 2024, news about the third Sherlock Holmes movie once again began to circulate as executives involved in the production shared promising updates regarding writers and talents such as RDJ and Law returning to their familiar roles.

However, with RDJ having just been announced to return to the MCU in a new capacity as their upcoming big bad, Doctor Doom, it appears his attention will once again be divided. As much as Sherlock Holmes is a profitable film for Warner Bros., and may be a great fit for Downey, the MCU is significantly more lucrative, and equally demanding. Downey is set to appear in both Avengers: Doomsday, where he will have a leading role in 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, in addition to anywhere else the character could pop up. This could mean that Sherlock Holmes' long awaited sequel suffers from even more delays if the studios don't act fast.