Why Sam Claflin's Mycroft Isn't In Enola Holmes 3

Published Jul 2, 2026, 5:50 PM EDT

The latest addition to the (current) trilogy of Netflix's Enola Holmes movies is finally here, as Enola Holmes 3 hit the streaming platform on July 1. This new installment was garnering plenty of attention online even before its release, as trailers for the movie heavily teased a shocking wedding between titular lead Enola Holmes, played by Millie Bobby Brown, and Tewkesbury, played by Louis Partridge. Although their romance has been budding for quite some time, this still came as a surprise, perhaps in large part because of Enola herself.

That is, since Enola Holmes debuted six years ago, it has been clear that Enola was not a typical young lady, especially not during the era in which Enola Holmes is set, in England in the 1880s. Rather than a disciplined gentlelady interested in marriage, Enola is spunky, fierce, and busy at work as a detective. This therefore made it difficult to imagine that Enola would really settle down in this conventional way. Granted, Enola Holmes 3 does confirm that their marriage won't be a conventional one; for example, she doesn't want to take Tewkesbury's title and name.

Even so, many aspects of their wedding do actually prove to be conventional, right down to the ornate white gown Enola dons and the guests in attendance. In terms of the latter, though, one key Holmes family member was missing—and, no, it wasn't Enola's fugitive mother, Eudoria. Actually, Eudoria not only made it to the wedding but also officiated. Instead, Enola's oldest brother, Mycroft, played by Sam Claflin, had no appearance in the movie, not even as his little sister was walking down the aisle.

Sam Claflin's Mycroft Missed Enola Holmes 2 Due To Scheduling Conflicts

Sam Claflin is a beloved actor for many reasons, not the least of which is his role as Finnick Odair in the Hunger Games franchise, specifically in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part​​​​​​​ 2, the latter of which includes his devastating and brutal death. Audiences were no doubt delighted to see him return to the screen as Mycroft in Enola Holmes, although his character in that movie proved considerably less likable (through no fault of Claflin's).

In Enola Holmes, Mycroft acts as the Holmes family patriarch, and he proves to be a real jerk in that capacity. In addition to judging and speaking poorly about his mother, Mycroft comes across as money obsessed as well as downright cruel to Enola, whom he treats as a nuisance who needs to learn her (heavily gendered) place in the world. For that reason, Mycroft became perhaps the most hated character in the movie, but that didn't make it any less disappointing to learn that he wouldn't be returning in Enola Holmes 2.

In that movie, Mycroft's absence was specifically due to scheduling conflicts. At the time, though, it was clear that the creative minds behind this Netflix project wanted to incorporate Claflin's Mycroft in the future, if the franchise continued. Unfortunately, though, Claflin did not return in Enola Holmes 3—and, this time, not only was there next to no mention made of him in the movie, but also, we don't yet have an answer regarding why Mycroft was once again not in the movie.

There's No Reason Given For Sam Claflin's Absence In Enola Holmes 3

As mentioned, Claflin's absence in Enola Holmes 3 hasn't yet been explained by the star or those behind the movie, and within the narrative itself, Mycroft's absence is likewise not explained. Granted, Enola Holmes 2 got on just fine without over-explaining where Mycroft was, as the narrative was really focused much more heavily on Sherlock, but there is something a bit stranger about Mycroft not being in Enola Holmes 3. Specifically, it's difficult to believe that, especially as the family patriarch, Mycroft wouldn't show up to Enola's wedding.

A case could be made that Enola simply didn't invite Mycroft. After all, he did basically torment her in Enola Holmes 2. That seems like a bit of a stretch, though, just because of how unusual it would have been for Mycroft not to have been invited during this era. In terms of Claflin himself, that's anyone's guess. Perhaps there was yet another scheduling conflict for Enola Holmes 3, or perhaps there was some other reason he didn't appear in the movie. For now, that remains a mystery.