Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman, pictured in December at the London world premiere of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," has been cast in "Captain America: Civil War." Reuters

What do “Fargo,” “Sherlock” and “The Hobbit” now have in common with the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Martin Freeman! The 43-year-old English actor has been cast in the highly anticipated “Captain America: Civil War” film. The only catch is that there are no details about his character.

In a statement Tuesday, Marvel announced that Freeman will join the already impressive cast of “Civil War.” Besides Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), fellow “Avengers” characters Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) will return to stir up trouble among the heroes and civilians. But Freeman’s mysterious character won’t be the only new face. Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), Crossbones (Frank Grillo) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) also will make their debut.

“Captain America: Civil War” will pick up following the events of the just-released “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” With all the “superhuman activity” exposed to the public, the government wants to pass an act that will force all those with superhero abilities to register. This divides Captain America and Iron Man, and forces everyone to pick a side. Freeman will somehow factor into this – but many are doubtful that he’ll join as a superhero based on his acting history. However, that hasn’t stopped one fan theory that started as a joke and picked up speed on social media: Could Martin Freeman be joining as Spider-Man?

Since Marvel acquired the rights to bring the web-slinger to the big screen, there have been rumors of how Spider-Man would factor into the MCU. Many have speculated that Spider-Man will make his first appearance in “Captain America: Civil War.” The theory is based on the comic books, in which the character plays a vital role in “Civil War.” However, previous reports indicate Marvel is looking for a fresh young face to portray Peter Parker. Nat Wolff, Asa Butterfield, Tom Holland, Timothée Chalamet and Liam James are all said to be front-runners for the role.

Who do you think Martin Freeman will play? Check out some of the reaction tweets to his casting below:

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