While fans of Benedict Cumberbatch are eagerly waiting to see the actor's return on TV for the next season of "Sherlock," it seems like there are more chances of seeing him first on the big screen as "Doctor Strange." 

The last installment of the hit BBC crime drama series, which features the modern adaptation of the highly popular "Sherlock Holmes" detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was last seen in January 2014 when "Sherlock" season 3 was aired. No new episodes were seen after that. Then BBC announced that a bonus episode will be produced in between the third and fourth seasons. The special episode was filmed from January to February this year, and is slated to be aired around Christmas time. Reportedly, the 90-minute Christmas special episode will have a different approach compared to the episodes in the regular seasons. It will be set in the era of Victorian London, and it will tie up the stories shown in the past seasons. 

As for "Sherlock" season 4, earlier reports claimed that it will premiere in 2016, but series co-creator Steven Moffat announced that the filming for the new season will not begin until spring next year. This means that it is not likely to have a 2016 release date. 

In an interview during the BAFTA winners press conference published by Digital Spy, Moffat confirmed the production timeline of "Sherlock." He also hinted at the central story of the upcoming season. 

According to Moffat, "[Series four] is going to be... I suppose you'd say... consequences. It's consequences. Chickens come to roost. It's dark in some ways - obviously it's great fun and a Sherlock Holmes romp and all that - but there's a sense of things coming back to bite you." 

Meanwhlle, the fourth season of "Sherlock" will reportedly take a darker turn, and some things from the past will haunt the characters and the viewers during the show's return. 

Cumberbatch is joined by Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson, Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty, and Amanda Abbington as Mary Morstan.