It’s been a couple of weeks since Watson officially ended on the 2026 TV schedule following a premature cancellation by CBS, and I am still bummed over it. However, while the story of Dr. John Watson may be over, it seems like Sherlock Holmes is not going anywhere anytime soon. I’m pumped about the new projects coming up centered on the fan-favorite detective.
Watson’s Out, But A New Moriarty Show Is In
Morris Chestnut’s titular doctor killed Sherlock’s arch nemesis James Moriarty (Randall Park) at the end of Watson’s first season, but the villain is making a comeback. Deadline recently reported that a new series focusing on Moriarty is in the works, from writers Chris Cornwell and Oliver Lansley. According to the team, Moriarty (working title) is said to be a “modern reinvention of the crime procedural, based on the most famous villain in all of detective fiction.” Fremantle and Archery Pictures will collaborate on the upcoming project.
Moriarty is a Professor of Criminal Psychology at Durham University, but leads a secret double life as the mastermind behind every crime of sophistication in the North of England. When a rival criminal begins an assault on his underground empire, Moriarty will have only one choice: to join the police as a consultant, using the law as a weapon to dismantle his foe while keeping his true identity hidden from the police. Paired with Detective Imogen Burrows, a stoic Yorkshire detective, they’ll form a fearsome team, but Moriarty will soon realize that the real threat isn’t the rival criminal faction he’s dismantling.
As of now, it hasn’t been announced who will be taking on the mantle of Sherlock’s arch nemesis, but more information will likely be revealed in the coming months as casting gets underway. It can be assumed that it will be someone new portraying Moriarty, so it should be fun to find out who joins the roster. If anything, these upcoming Sherlock projects will keep fans invested.
Add It To the List Of Other Holmes Universe Projects
The Sherlock Holmes universe is staying alive and well following the end of Watson, and not just with Moriarty. First up is the much-anticipated Enola Holmes 3, with Millie Bobby Brown returning as Sherlock’s titular sister. The trailer for the movie, releasing on Netflix’s 2026 schedule, recently dropped, and it shows Enola’s personal and professional dreams getting tangled.
Enola Holmes 3 is darker and more grown-up than the first two films, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. Louis Partridge’s Tewkesbury proposed to Enola in the teaser, while Henry Cavill’s Sherlock is kidnapped. There will also probably be a lot more going on, meaning Enola will have her hands pretty tied. The new film will premiere on the 2026 movie schedule on July 1, so fans won’t have to wait long to see what happens.
Then there’s also Young Sherlock. The Prime Video British mystery series premiered in March and was officially renewed for Season 2 just a month later. Young Sherlock follows a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes, who is a student at Oxford University before he grows into the master detective everyone knows and loves. Hero Fiennes Tiffin portrays the amateur investigator, while Dónal Finn plays James Moriarty, who is Sherlock’s friend rather than arch nemesis.
Even though it’s definitely a shame that Dr. John Watson’s story won’t continue with Watson, fans of the whole Sherlock Holmes universe will be able to look forward to much more in the future, especially when it comes to the detective and his arch nemesis.
