'Sherlock' Season 4 release date news update: Rupert Graves and Molly-Lestrade Romance?

"Sherlock" season 4 has yet to begin production, but Rupert Graves has already spilled a few hints about a brewing romance between Molly and his character Lestrade.

From the beginning, Molly Hooper's (Louise Brealey) feelings for Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) were already obvious. However, Rupert Graves, who plays Lestrade in "Sherlock," has hinted that his character may be romantically linked with Molly in season 4, according to iDigital Times.

For fans of the Sherlock-Molly love team, this news may come as a big disappointment, the report adds.

Speaking to Collider in an interview, Graves said he thinks Lestrade has strong feelings for Molly. The actor said this after he was asked about his personal hopes for his character's connection with Molly.

Graves pointed out that he still has not seen the scripts. However, he speculates that the story will gravitate toward a relationship between the two characters.

"I think definitely Lestrade has got the hots for Molly. So maybe they'll develop that," Graves told Collider. "We don't know what happens until we see the scripts, and that could literally be a couple of weeks before you film."

While Grave's statement is no assurance that Molly will end up with Lestrade in the fourth season, it definitely gives "Sherlock" fans a lot to contemplate, the report details.

The "Sherlock" Christmas special turned out to be a disappointment for some fans, so they may be looking for a more satisfying story line when the series returns.

The Victorian-themed episode had a similar ending with season 3, in which fans were not able to see more of Lestrade as a Victorian inspector, the report relays.

"Sherlock" season 4 will begin filming this coming spring and the new installment will air in 2017. More details on the detective series are expected to be revealed in the next few months.