With a release date secured, it appears Sherlock Holmes 3 is one step closer to becoming a reality, as star Robert Downey Jr. teases a return to the franchise.The actor has been teasing his return to the role of Sherlock Holmes on social media off and on since July, and now, seemingly have wrapped work on The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, it appears Downey Jr. is finally preparing to return as the iconic detective for a third film. In a tweet posted earlier today, Downey Jr. stated he was practicing his Sherlock face, complete with a GIF of him in character.

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The tweet comes after the actor posted a throwback photo on Instagram two days ago from the set of Game of Shadows. Fans of the Sherlock Holmes franchise have been eagerly awaiting news regarding the third film for some time now. In fact, the film has been in various stages of production since 2016, with reports initially suggesting filming would kick off that year. That, of course, never happened, as the film underwent a rewrite from James Coyne before the studio eventually brought in Guardians of the Galaxy scribe Nicole Perlman, Rogue One's Gary Whitta and a number of other writers later that year to rework the script yet again.

Interestingly enough, while Guy Ritchie directed the first two entries in the franchise, a director has yet to be announced for the threequel. That should change soon enough, though, as production is expected to kick off later this year.

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Sherlock Holmes 3 hits theaters on Dec. 25, 2020, from a script by Chris Brancato. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson.