Martin Freeman To Play An “Ambiguous” Governmental Figure In Captain America: Civil War

With such a broad and star-studded line-up, you’d be forgiven for losing track of exactly who will star in Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War next year. Situated in the aftermath of Age of Ultron, we know fine well that the threequel will chart the division between Cap and Iron Man, though since his casting earlier this year, there’s still an awful lot we don’t know about Martin Freeman’s role in the superhero flick.

He is, for all intents and purposes, one of Marvel’s better kept secrets in a universe that continues to grow and evolve by the week, though in a recent interview with BadTaste (via Coming Soon), the Sherlock star hinted that his character will be neither good nor evil; rather, Freeman’s governmental figure is poised to tread a morally fine line.

He works for the American government. He works in conjunction with the superheroes, and certain agencies that help to tame the superheroes’ power, I suppose. So you’re not quite sure which side he’s on. It looks a little bit like he’s playing one game when actually he’s playing another. It’s the kind of character I like because it’s ambiguous and because you don’t know whether he’s good or bad. I like that area that isn’t black or white, I like the grays, because I think there’s just more fun to be had in not playing one obvious line.

Sporting an “East Coast American” accent, all signs point to Freeman’s suit having ties to Wakanda, which would naturally help fast-track an origins story for Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther. Whatever the case, the fact that the likeable British star has hinted at the possibility of remaining in the MCU beyond Civil War indicates that his role is rather substantial.

Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Paul Rudd will round out the ensemble cast, with Tom Holland swinging into action for his first appearance as the company’s new-fangled, much younger Spider-Man. Captain America: Civil War kicks off Marvel’s Phase Three on May 6, 2016.