Sherlock and The Hobbit star Martin Freeman is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
Marvel.com announced Tuesday afternoon that the beloved actor will be joining the third film in the Captain America series, in which Cap (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) will square off over the future of their superhero business.
“From his roles as Bilbo Baggins and Doctor Watson to Tim in The Office, Martin’s range from the dramatic to the comedic has consistently impressed us,” said Marvel head Kevin Feige in a statement. “We couldn’t be more honored or excited to have such a talented actor join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Unfortunately Marvel and Feige declined to share who Freeman will be playing, so let the speculation begin! Since Freeman is no small actor (we’re not speaking about his height here), one can assume he’ll be playing an important role.
Filming on Captain America: Civil War is set to begin very soon, as Evans revealed last week:
Dear beard
We had a good run, but this is where I leave you. Thank you for braving the Boston winter with me. I miss you already #Cap3Begins
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) April 27, 2015
With that in mind, one of the big mysteries that still remains is which actor will be cast as Spider-Man, who is expected to have a big role in Civil War. While the studio has yet to make an announcement, the rumor mill says that they’re currently deciding between Asa Butterfield and Tom Holland. After making his debut in this movie, Spider-Man will get his own film which is slated to hit theaters on July 28, 2017.
Another hero joining Civil War is Black Panther, set to be played by Chadwick Boseman. Following his introduction in the Captain America sequel he’ll get his own movie in July 2018.
Freeman’s Sherlock co-star Benedict Cumberbatch joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe earlier this year — he’s set to play Doctor Strange which hits theaters November 2016.
No word yet on if Doctor Strange will be introduced to Freeman’s character in Civil War, so they can make a subtle reference to Sherlock that’ll make the world explode. (Okay, we’re trying too hard.)
Captain America: Civil War opens in theaters May 6, 2016. The war brewing between Cap and Iron Man was very apparent in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and their battle is only going to get worse from here.