Sherlock season 4: Benedict Cumberbatch hints at 'the end of an era'

Cumberbatch always refuses to rule out reprising the lead role in future series

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Doctor Watson in the BBC drama (BBC)

Benedict Cumberbatch has strongly hinted that the upcoming fourth season of Sherlock will be the last.

The Oscar-nominated actor has finished filming his latest turn as the famous detective, with the new episodes expected to air in January.

However, fans of the BBC drama might be concerned by his recent comments to British GQ, in which he admitted that wrapping shooting felt like “the end of an era”.

Cumberbatch, 40, told the November issue of the magazine that although he would “never say never” to reprising the lead role alongside Martin Freeman’s Doctor Watson, the popular show “felt complete”.

“It might be the end of an era. It feels like the end of an era, to be honest,” he said. “It goes to a place where it will be pretty hard to follow on immediately. We never say never on the show.

“I’d love to revisit it, I’d love to keep revisiting it, I stand by that, but in the immediate future we all have things that we want to crack on with and we’ve made something very complete as it is, so I think we’ll just wait and see. The idea of never playing him again is really galling.”

Showrunners Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have commented on speculation that the end of Sherlock may be nigh before, notably at San Diego Comic Con in August, when the former emphasised that the team are taking it “one season at at time”. Hopefully, he reassured fans that he finds it “hard to imagine” not doing more series.

The fourth series of Sherlock will consist of three episodes, which the BBC has promised will be “the most shocking and surprising yet”.

The November issue of British GQ is on sale from Thursday