This article contains spoilers for Enola Holmes 2.Netflix’s Enola Holmes 2 features an all-star cast, as it continues to expand the world of Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. Viewers may know her best as Eleven, but Millie Bobby Brown considers Enola Holmes 2 the “most important moment in [her] career” so far. This is because she isn’t just the star of this movie; she’s also the producer, and has been involved with the project at every level.
Based on the best-selling novels by Nancy Springer, Netflix’s Enola Holmes films shine a surprisingly modern light on the late Victorian era. The first film used real-world events surrounding the Great Reform Bill as a backdrop, and the sequel ties in to the Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888 – a key moment in British social history. This time of social upheaval is navigated by Enola Holmes, Sherlock’s younger sister, as she attempts to build a life for herself in the city. Here are all the main cast and crew.
Millie Bobby Brown Is Back As Enola Holmes
Best known as Eleven in Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown is establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s biggest young talents. The youngest person ever to feature on the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people, Brown was pleasantly surprised by the success of the first Enola Holmes film, and seems to have been delighted to sign up for the sequel. Enola is clearly a far more relatable character for Brown than Eleven – “I am not from a laboratory and I do not have a shaved head,” she quipped in an interview with Slashfilm – and Enola Holmes 2 gives her an opportunity to demonstrate her skills as a producer.
Henry Cavill Is Sherlock Holmes, Co-Starring In Enola Holmes 2
Henry Cavill plays Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes 2, but a very different version of the Great Detective. Although Sherlock is famously reserved, considering emotion to be like grit in a sensitive instrument, he’s unable to hide the fact he cares a great deal about his younger sister. Cavill is another big name, best known for playing Superman in the DCU and Geralt in The Witcher, a role he’s recently left. The future is bright for Cavill nonetheless, given he’s returning to the DCU and is also kicking off a new potential franchise with Guy Ritchie, The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare, based on the life of James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
Louis Partridge Returns As Lord Tewkesbury In Enola Holmes 2
Enola Holmes 2 is very different to the books, most notably in that it features the return of Louis Partridge as Enola’s love interest Lord Tewkesbury. Best known for his roles in Pistol and Medici, Partridge won viewers’ hearts with his will-they-won’t-they romance in the first Enola Holmes film. The sequel sees Lord Tewkesbury continue his career as a major reformer in the House of Lords, while also trying to win Enola’s heart. This is a major departure from the books, and sets up the theme of Enola Holmes 2; that even someone used to being alone, like Enola, needs others in their lives.
Helena Bonham Carter’s Eudoria Holmes Returns In Enola Holmes 2 As Well
Another of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, Helena Bonham Carter returns in Enola Holmes 2 – once again playing Eudoria Holmes, mother of Sherlock, Mycroft, and Enola. Every incarnation of the Sherlock Holmes franchise seems obsessed with the Suffragettes, and the Enola Holmes films are no exception; Eudoria is part of a militant group fighting for equal rights. Her story has been switched up significantly from the books, where she’s either unable or unwilling to return to London on Enola’s behalf. This vision of Eudoria Holmes serves as a fascinating commentary on Victorian London, and Enola is very much the girl her mother raised her to be.
Enola Holmes 2 Introduces Himesh Patel As Doctor John Watson
There must be a Watson for every incarnation of Sherlock Holmes; that particular relationship is far too important for the character. Enola Holmes 2 finally introduces its version of Dr. John Watson in a mid-credits scene, played by Himesh Patel. A British actor and writer, he’s best known for a long-standing role in EastEnders, although viewers will also recognize him from Damned, Station Eleven, and The Luminaries. The Enola Holmes books feature several Watson plots, so he’s likely to return should Netflix sign off on Enola Holmes 3.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster Joins The Cast As Enola Holmes’ Moriarty
Enola Holmes 2 introduces its own version of Moriarty as well, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Dune, Sex Education). In an amusing twist, this time round the name “Moriarty” is essentially created when Sherlock Holmes misreads an anagram, for she is in reality Miss Mira Troy, a government secretary who has grown frustrated because women cannot flourish and grow in Victorian society. Bitter and wrathful, she views life as nothing more than a game, and she revels in the chaos caused by her agents. Mira Troy is a fascinating character, an inversion of Enola Holmes even as she remains obsessed with Sherlock.
The Other Cast Of Enola Holmes 2
The first Enola Holmes film explored the Great Reform Bill, and Enola Holmes 2 plays on real history as well, in a plot centered on the Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888. This means the supporting cast grows for the sequel, with some returning secondary characters and one actress playing a real figure from British history. The rest of the cast include:
- Adeel Akhtar (Sweet Tooth, Killing Eve, Sherwood) as Inspector Lestrade, a police detective who is somewhat overawed by Sherlock Holmes.
- David Thewlis (Landscapers, The Sandman, Human Resources) as Superintendent Grail, a corrupt police officer who is working for Moriarty – and goes further than even Moriarty would have expected.
- Susie Wokoma (Rules of the Game, The House, Crazyhead) as Eudoria Holmes’ good friend Edith.
- Hannah Dodd (Bridgerton, Anatomy of a Scandal, Flowers in the Attic: The Origin) as Sarah Chapman, the woman behind the Matchgirls’ Strike – the event that inspired Enola Holmes 2.
Enola Holmes 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
