Did you stick around for the credits of Enola Holmes 2? If you did, you spotted the introduction of a highly anticipated character from Sherlock Holmes lore: the detective’s famed pal and flatmate at 221B Baker Street, Dr. John Watson. Himesh Patel (Don’t Look Up) joins the cast as Holmes’ esteemed colleague and future partner in crime solving. 

Although you might have wondered where Watson has been this whole time, that mystery is a very easy one to solve. According to director Harry Bradbeer, who came up with the idea for the story with screenwriter Jack Thorne, Watson had actually been in the first draft for the first Enola Holmes film.

Bradbeer explains to Tudum, “He formed such a negligible role that we just said, ‘Well, we’re in the world of origin stories here, guys. Maybe Watson isn’t even there yet.’” So they decided to set him to one side for the first film, and lo and behold, “he popped up here.” The idea of a Marvel-style appearance in the credits was always in the script, Bradbeer adds, commending his co-conspirator. “That was Jack. Fantastic!”

Sherlock Holmes himself, Henry Cavill, tells Tudum that his character in the Enola Holmes films is from “obviously a very different perspective from some of the more classic Sherlocks.” But Cavill finds this new approach “fun to do,” as “it gives people access” to a universe centering on young people. “And maybe they’ll want to tap into the classic Sherlock at a later day, or even now.”

Where Sherlock and Watson go from here is yet to be determined, but Cavill considers that “as long as it’s stimulating to young people to get out there and learn and grow and be the best versions of themselves, then we’re doing our job right.”

Watch Enola Holmes 2 Now on Netflix.

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