Benedict Cumberbatch Says “Sherlock” Would Have to Be 'Better Than It Ever Was' for Him to Reprise the Role

Benedict Cumberbatch is revealing whether he would reprise one of his iconic roles.

The actor, 48, recently spoke with Variety about his new film, The Thing With Feathers, and reflected on some of his most memorable past projects. When asked if he would ever return to being Sherlock Holmes, who he played in Sherlock from 2010 until 2017, Cumberbatch was unsure, joking that it would take “a lot of money.”

“It would take it to be better than it ever was,” he added. “You leave them or yourselves wanting more. There’s always that itch to scratch, but I think it would have to be the superlative version of what we’ve already achieved.”

Related: Benedict Cumberbatch Stars as a Worried Father in Search of His Missing Son in First Look at Netflix's Eric

He also said it’s not the first time he’s shared his intentions about taking his career in a different direction. During a fan event in Australia while the show was still airing, Cumberbatch remembered noting that he wasn’t tying himself down to that one character.

“I went, ‘Guys, I know you really like Sherlock, but if you’re with me, I’m not going to always do the same thing,’” he recalled. “‘I’m not going to always be the Benedict that you expect. You might not like some of the stuff I do. I may be cute and cuddly to you at times, or ugly and untouchable. But I want to stretch myself and surprise myself and surprise you.’”

Related: Benedict Cumberbatch Recalls Harrowing Experience of Being Abducted and Held Captive in South Africa

Now, Cumberbatch is focused primarily on the production company he founded in 2013, called SunnyMarch, so he can produce work that is meaningful to him.

“These are urgent stories that we feel a need to tell,” he told the outlet. “I tend to appear in many of them so we can finance something that’s either about a difficult subject or is really a niche piece of art-house cinema that deserves to be seen.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

When later asked how he felt about being considered a sex symbol, he referred to Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio as examples of the kind of actors he does not consider himself similar to.

“I’m not Brad, I’m not Leonardo, I’m not a typical movie star. People were scrambling for ‘Why is he at all attractive to us?’ " he said. "But for me to guess and try to understand that is so f------ weirdly navel-gazing. I’m not sitting around thinking, ‘Why am I sexy?’ I worry about myself in the mirror as I age, like every other f----- does.”

In fact, the Doctor Strange star — who has been featured in more than one of PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive issues over the years — doesn’t even like being called a "celebrity."

“It’s so derogatory, and just lumps anyone famous together,” he said of the term, adding, “Am I a ‘celebrated’ person? Well, for what? For selling cheese? For being on a reality show? For doing something outrageous? For being an actor?”

Read the original article on People