Superman actor Henry Cavill has discussed his return as the iconic super sleuth Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming Netflix sequel Enola Holmes 2. Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Cavill revealed that he was at first a little unsure of why he had been cast to play the character before eventually realizing that the addition of Holmes's sister Enola allowed for a unique interpretation.

“I thought, 'hold on a second, why would you want me to play Sherlock?' It doesn’t seem to fit. And it’s been done so well by so many people before me, and then I got my hands on the script and read it and I realized that this is a Sherlock that exists within a universe where Enola exists, which allows for a very different iteration of the character.”

On paper, Cavill is nothing like the tall, lanky, pointy-nosed Sherlock Holmes, with Cavill concerned about how he would portray the aloof, detached personality that we all know so well. However, the actor quickly realized that thanks to Enola, he could tap into a “hidden warmth” that has not been overly explored on screen before. Ultimately, his concerns over his casting as Sherlock have been largely unfounded.

“Because yes, his forward-facing self is still very similar to the character who we’ve seen played before, but when it comes to Enola there’s a special something. And then it made sense to me. I was like, 'Oh OK, there is a hidden warmth to this character.'”

Released in 2020, the first Enola Holmes introduced Millie Bobby Brown as the titular sleuthing sibling alongside Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes. Cavill is expected to play a bigger role in the upcoming sequel, with Enola Holmes 2 reportedly centering on the relationship between Enola and her elder brother as the former attempts to step out of the large shadow cast by the latter — a task that becomes increasingly difficult when their cases overlap.

Related: Enola Holmes 2 Posters Put the Spotlight on Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill & the Core Cast

Enola Holmes 2 is Due to Land on Netflix Next Week

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Netflix

Fresh off the triumph of solving her first case, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) follows in the footsteps of her famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), and opens her own agency — only to find that life as a female detective-for-hire isn’t as easy as it seems. Resigned to accept the cold realities of adulthood, she is about to close shop when a penniless matchstick girl offers Enola her first official job: to find her missing sister.

But this case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world — from London’s sinister factories and colorful music halls to the highest echelons of society and 221B Baker Street itself. As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends — and Sherlock himself — to unravel her mystery. The game, it seems, has found its feet again!

Written by Jack Thorne and directed by Harry Bradbeer, Enola Holmes 2 stars Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Louis Partridge, Adeel Akhtar, Susie Wokoma, Helena Bonham Carter, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, David Thewlis, and Hannah Dodd.

Enola Holmes 2 is scheduled to be released on November 4, 2022, by Netflix.