Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is set to take home £7.5million for the sequel to the superhero movie Doctor Strange.

Filming on Doctor Strange 2 is expected to begin next spring and could take as long as six months.

And the 42-year-old British favourite is in line for a £5million increase from Disney on the pay packet he received for the original in 2016.

But it could mean bad news for fans of the hit BBC show based on legendary detective Sherlock Holmes – because Benedict might not have time to fit in filming a fifth series next year.

(Image: BBC Worldwide)

He has previously committed to only a “maybe” when asked if he would like to return to the TV role earlier.

He has already made £4.2million in total from his work on the first Doctor Strange, Thor Ragnarok and the last two Avengers movies.

A movie source said: “Benedict has become a huge player in the Marvel universe.

“But the nature of the shoot for the sequel means we’re looking at 2020 for the next time we see the sleuth in a full series – if it happens at all.”

Martin Freeman, who plays Holmes’ sidekick Dr Watson, has also revealed that he has not been consulted on another series.