Moriarty, the show's go-to shadowy villain for the first two series, bit the bullet (yes, literally too) at the end of The Reichenbach Fall - so it falls to a brand new villain to act as the main bad guy for Series 3. As you can see above (with his mildly terrifying death stare), they've found one. Charles Augustus Magnussen (played by Nordic actor Lars 'brother of Hannibal' Mikkelsen), based off blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton from Conan Doyle's stories, has stepped into the frame as the main villain for the third series. And if the interviews and previews count for anything, he's going to pretty much be the polar opposite of Moriarty. The show's Moriarty, in a departure from the books, was unpredictable, psychopathic and deliciously nuts. Magnussen, on the other hand, looks like the sort of villain who'd offer you a cup of tea and a digestive along with a good chat about the government before blackmailing you for all you're worth. It's a neat inversion of Moriarty, and promises a slightly different villainous dynamic to Sherlock and Moriarty's weird bromance. Magnussen's only been confirmed for the finale, His Last Vow, but don't be surprised if he's pulling the strings of the earlier episodes, just like Moriarty in Series 1...
