Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman's "Captain America: Civil War" character will likely appear in other Marvel films. Freeman is pictured at the Giffoni Film Festival on July 19, 2015 in Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy. Getty

As the first film in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Captain America: Civil War” will be setting up a lot of new plotlines and characters. Not only are they introducing the star of “Black Panther,” T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), but the film might be introducing a supporting character from the 2018 movie too.

“Sherlock” star Martin Freeman will play Everett Ross, a government agent for the Joint Counter Terrorist Center, Empire confirms. The agency will be trying to enforce more control over superheroes like Captain America (Chris Evans). However, the Black Panther connection is in the comics. Ross is a government liason to Wakanda, T’Challa’s native country. The role “makes Freeman a safe bet to be get a broader role in the standalone Black Panther movie,” Empire notes.

Up until now, Freeman had only revealed that he is some sort of government agent. Though the agency he works for is on Team Iron Man, that doesn’t necessarily mean he is working against Cap. “So you’re not quite sure which side he’s on,” Freeman told Bad Taste in July. “It looks a little bit like he’s playing one game when actually he is playing another. It’s the kind of character I love, because it’s ambiguous, and you don’t know whether he is good or bad.”

A new photo of him next to Sharon Carter (Emily Van Camp) might hint that he is on Captain America’s team, or it could just mean that he and Agent 13 are keeping their disagreements civil. While it isn’t clear what their relationship is, it is evident that they’re surrounded by German police. Steve Rogers will head back to the place where his journey as a hero really began, bringing his story “full circle,” co-director Joe Russo said.

Freeman is getting quite a bit of experience with roles as government agents. The 44-year-old actor is currently filming “Start Up,” a TV show where he plays an FBI agent hunting down a corrupt business man. The drama will premiere on Crackle, Sony’s free streaming service, but a release date hasn’t been revealed.

“Captain America: Civil War” hits theaters May 6. “Black Panther” is scheduled to be released July 6, 2018.

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