It cannot be denied the many fans are waiting for BBC to confirm Sherlock Season 5. The British crime drama television series is based on the detective stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Since the network has not released any official details about the show yet, avid followers of the series opted to create theories and speculations on what is likely to happen in the yet-to-be-confirmed installment.

Rumors are rife that Sherlock Season 5 has been delayed since the cast and crew cannot coordinate their schedules. As a matter of fact, co-showrunner Steven Moffat, previously, revealed to Digital Spy that he has not thought about it because he still has things to do. Moffat added that he and Mark Gatiss have yet to sit down and have a proper talk about what they could do should BBC order the fifth installment.

Despite this, a source named Chris Georgiou, who is working near the location of the famous series, revealed that Sherlock Season 5 is very much likely to happen. "I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I've heard they'll be coming back for a fifth season," he, allegedly, told Time Out. However, Mark was quick to debunk the claim and described it as "nonsense."

Despite this, a lot of viewers still believe that Sherlock Season 5 might be closer than expected, especially since Steven Moffat has, reportedly, more free time now. Benedict Cumberbatch, on the other hand, is said to be dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which means that he could reprise his role as Detective Sherlock now.

In 2014, the 43-year-old English actor told Vogue that he is very much interested in returning in Sherlock Season 5. "If we can keep the quality up, I can't imagine that I will ever get tired of being Sherlock," he revealed to the publication. "The idea of never playing him again is really galling," Benedict told GQ in an interview in 2017.

However, more recent reports teased that Benedict Cumberbatch might be busy again since he will be a part of the upcoming 1917 movie, which means that Sherlock Season 5 might be pushed further. Set during World War 1, the imminent new film will be based on an account by its director's, Sam Mendes, grandfather.

Aside from Benedict, other cast members include George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Daniel Mays, Bradley Riches, Adrian Scarborough, Jamie Parker, Nabhaan Rizwan, Daniel McMillon, and George Verrall, among others. The 1917 movie is set for a Jan. 10, 2020, release.

It remains to be seen if filming 1917 will affect BBC's decision to confirm the highly-anticipated Sherlock Season 5, especially since Benedict plays a vital role in the said movie. However, it should be noted that, regardless of Benedict's involvement, the network still has the final say about the series' renewal or cancelation. Hence, fans should quit believing in this theory.

The English actor has yet to comment on these speculations. Stay tuned to Business Times for more Sherlock Season 5 spoilers, theories, speculations, news, and updates!