'Sherlock' season 5 renewal: Will season 4 be the end?

"Sherlock" season 4 is yet to begin, but fans are already looking forward to another season of the series, which is rumored to be not happening.

Series lead Benedict Cumberbatch has said in the past that the upcoming season feels like the "end of an era." In his latest interview with Digital Spy, he insisted giving no comment on the matter.

While he did not have anything to say about "Sherlock" season 5, he had a lot to say about the upcoming season. Should it be the end, fans will not be disappointed.

"There are a huge number of pay-offs in this series," the actor said. "I think, in the past, you could get away with watching a few episodes in isolation, but this ... they're vine branches in the jungle of Sherlock, you have to keep swinging from one to the next to really understand. And really ... the pay-offs are massive if you do," he went on to say.

With regard to the odds of "Sherlock" season 5 happening, Cumberbatch and co-stars Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington are one in saying that it is all about enjoying the experience.

During an interview with Crime Scene magazine, Cumberbatch said that (as detailed in the scans shared by Twitter user, SherlocksiPod) it still "maintains a fascination."

"So it's not just about employment, it's about wanting to do it, and I'm very lucky to be in that position. And also to have a character like this, who I still really want to play," he went on to say.

Freeman said that he is having a good time. The same goes for Abbington, who even quipped about a spinoff starring her character Mary, who was revealed to be a former assassin.

In other news, there are various leaks suggesting that "Sherlock" season 4, episode 3 will be titled "The Final Problem," the same name of an iconic story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that marks the ultimate showdown of Sherlock and his rival James Moriarty (played by Andrew Scott) in the series.

"Sherlock" season 4 premieres New Year's Day at 8:30 p.m. ET on BBC One.