With all the names attached to the absolutely packed Captain America: Civil War (or as it should be rightly known, Avengers 2.5), one that came as a surprise to everybody was Martin Freeman, announced a few months ago in an unspecified role. There’s been much speculation on who the one time Bilbo Baggins would be playing (at one point, it was rumoured to be a completely new character written for the movie, British Prime Minister Edward Chase), but nothing concrete as of yet. Speaking to bad taste.it, the actor dropped some hints about the character, which gives us abetter picture of what to expect from his role, saying:
"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."
Now, while he still could very well be playing a completely new character, there are two existing characters in the Marvel Universe who fit this bill. First is Everett Ross, a government agent and expert on the African nation of Wakanda, ruled over by Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther. With both Panther and, presumably, Wakanda making an appearance, this could happen. Another possibility is Henry Peter Gyrich, a thorn in the side of the Avengers (and the entire Marvel Universe, really) after he was assigned to them as their liaison to the U.S. Government, imposing strict guidelines on the team, who he views as a threat to national security. Again, considering the upcoming movie revolves around government sanctions imposed on the team, this is a highly likely possibility (I, for one, support this theory over the Ross one). The one snag in the Gyrich theory is the character has appeared in the first X-Men movie, credited as Guyrich, as the aide to Senator Kelly being impersonated by Mystique, and since the character also played a big part in the history of the X-Men as well, it’s uncertain where the rights lie with this character at this time.
Regardless of the rumours and speculation, Freeman’s role should become clear in the coming weeks and months, with Captain America: Civil War hitting our screens May 6th 2016.
