Fanboys Anonymous

Although it is officially being declared the third Captain America film, the upcoming Captain America: Civil War is definitely feeling more like a third Avengers due to how many people are involved.

So far, we know that Robert Downey Jr. will return to the series as Tony Stark, which by itself is huge enough news to be excited about, but he's not alone. We will see characters such as Falcon, Sharon Carter, Crossbones, and Winter Soldier, picking back up after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. We also will see some of the Avengers themselves, including Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, with newcomers Black Panther and even Spider-Man joining the fray.

You can now add two more names to that list as William Hurt will be reprising his role as General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross from The Incredible Hulk and Martin Freeman has joined the cast in an as-yet unspecified role.

At the moment, a lot of fans are speculating that Freeman's character is Everett K. Ross—an American ambassador to Wakanda, the African nation referenced several times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Is Martin Freeman playing Everett Ross in Captain America: Civil War?

There's definitely going to be a presence of Wakanda in the film, considering Black Panther's involvement, which ties directly to his homeland. You can't have T'Challa without Wakanda, and if Andy Serkis returns for another round of portraying Ulysses Klaue, he'll undoubtedly be tied to the region as well. The guy needs a new hand, and we all know where he'll get the Vibranium to make it.

While I believe there isn't a definitive connection between General Ross and Everett Ross in the comics, the films haven't shied away from changing things up. Maybe Freeman's character is the son of General Ross, and that's given him the political connections to attain such an important position. There must be a particular reason to include General Ross in the movie to begin with; we haven't seen him for several films now despite his initially being approached about The Avengers Initiative. Ross could be there to oversee what Everett is doing or could just be brought on board to start an alternative team to The Avengers: The Thunderbolts. Hell, both could end up happening.

Keep in mind that this is all pure speculation at this point; for all we know, Marvel has cast Martin Freeman as someone far more exciting. Still, as good as Freeman is, I can't imagine him being the choice actor for the leader of the Serpent Squad or taking on the U.S. Agent role, can you?

What character do you think Freeman is going to be? How does General Ross come into play for the film? Tell us your predictions and theories in the comments below!