'Sherlock' season 5 news: Co-creator talks about possible renewal; series to be axed due to scheduling conflict?

"Sherlock" has just premiered its hotly-anticipated fourth season, but there are already talks about a possible season 5. Co-creator Mark Gatiss recently shared his thoughts about a potential renewal for the series, and unfortunately for fans, there's a chance that season 4 is the last for the hit BBC franchise.

Fans have waited for a while to see Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) return to the small screen as they solve new mysteries together. In a recent interview, co-creator Mark Gatiss revealed that a possible season 5 might not happen despite the show's overwhelming success worldwide.

"These three [episodes], we've very, very pleased with them. And everybody's very keen to carry on. It's just genuinely difficult to schedule everyone's diaries. It was a nightmare to schedule this season... and that's not going to go away," Gatiss explained. "I mean, the success of 'Doctor Strange' is not going to make Benedict short of work," he went on to say.

Cumberbatch most recently starred in "Doctor Strange," which was a huge hit among fans. Grossing more than $616 million worldwide, the film is certainly far from a flop, possibly making "Sherlock" season 5 far from happening. It successfully surpassed "Iron Man's" longtime record of $585 million, so it is expected that Marvel won't be letting go of Cumberbatch anytime soon. Freeman also plays a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Deputy Task Force Commander Everett Ross, and he will reportedly reprise the character in "Black Panther."

In another Q&A, Gatiss stressed that the cast and creators are all open to make another season and continue the popular drama. However, several factors could affect the show's fate. "We would love to do more, but — we are genuinely not lying ... — we absolutely don't know," he said. "It's up to all kinds of factors, scheduling and willingness to do it. We are just not sure," the EP added.

The fourth season of "Sherlock" currently airs every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on BBC One.