Lars Mikkelsen revealed as Charles Augustus Magnussen, the villain for ‘Sherlock’ season 3

The season 2 cliffhanger left fans of Sherlock wanting more yet having no idea how the production will move forward. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman will depart from their Hollywood success to return for another trilogy of Sherlock Holmes adventures.

Now Sherlock producer Sue Vertue has tweeted a picture of Lars Mikkelsen as Charles Augustus Magnussen, whom she describes as “Sherlock’s new nemesis.”

The early theory is that Magnussen is actually a modernized version of Charles Augustus Milverton, the so-called “king of the blackmailers” who appeared in the Arthur Conan Doyle short story, “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton.” That story took place after Sherlock Holmes’ return from Reichenbach Falls, which would be appropriate since the third season will also take place after Sherlock faked his death.

Sherlock executive producers Vertue, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss made an appearance at San Diego’s Comic-Con in late July to discuss the upcoming third season of the British series, which airs on PBS Masterpiece in the U.S.

In the season-three premiere, “The Empty Hearse,” the panelists revealed the focus will be on the impact Sherlock’s faked death will have on Watson.

Sherlock is set to return in October on BBC One and in the US in early 2014.