Oh, toy with our emotions a little more, why don't you, Benedict Cumberbatch?

The actor's hinted *again* that the next series of Sherlock could be the last in a new interview with GQ.

"It might be the end of an era," he said of the next three films. "It feels like the end of an era, to be honest."

Just to keep the fires of hope a-burning, Cumberbatch added that he'd "never say never" to making more Sherlock.

Hartswood Films/Robert Viglasky

Related: See how Sherlock would have looked with the actors who were nearly cast

"I'd love to revisit it, I'd love to keep revisiting it – I stand by that," he said. "The idea of never playing him again is really galling.

"But in the immediate future we all have things that we want to crack on with and we've made something very complete as it is, so I think we'll just wait and see."

Clear as mud? Perfect.

Related: Sherlock series 4: Is this the final outing for Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman?

Back in July, Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat acknowledged that series four might be the last.

"I don't know how long we can keep it going," he admitted. "I would be moderately surprised if this was the last time we ever made this show – but it absolutely could be."

But a month later, he hinted that certain plot elements had been held back for a potential fifth run.

"In terms of a specific plan, there are ideas that we haven't gotten to yet," he said.

Steve Granitz / Getty Images

Related: Investigating Sherlock's most outrageous fan theories

This is about as confusing and complex as one of Sherlock's baffling cases - but here's what we do know...

Sherlock is expected to return in early 2017 on BBC One, with Toby Jones "bringing to life one of [Arthur Conan] Doyle's finest villains".

Excited for the fourth (and final?) series? 'Cause we sure are...

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