Unfortunately for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Avengers: Infinity War featured no reference to the character despite Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange and Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man spending a lot of time together in the film. According to the Russo brothers, the pair had no intention on making any references to RDJ and Cumberbatch's times as Sherlock Holmes in Infinity War.

Appearing Wednesday in Washington, D.C., at an event sponsored by Smithsonian Associates, the educational programming branch of the Smithsonian, directors Joe and Anthony Russo were asked why no references were made in Infinity War to the two modern incarnations of Sherlock Holmes, Downey Jr. and Cumberbatch, teaming up in the film. Joe Russo dismissed any nods or jokes to the character connection as being "too obvious."

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Robert Downey Jr. portrayed the iconic character in Guy Ritchie's 2009 film Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, while Benedict Cumberbatch took on the role in the popular BBC series Sherlock, which first aired in 2010. Cumberbatch remains signed on to play the role again in a fifth season of Sherlock, though no release date has been announced. There is also potential for a third Sherlock Holmes film starring Downey Jr., with earliest estimates on production beginning at the end of this year, though nothing's been confirmed yet.

Check back later for CBR's full report of the Russo brothers' Smithsonian presentation.

In theaters now, Avengers: Infinity War is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Tom Hiddleston and Josh Brolin, among others.