BBC / Sherlock
Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson, left, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, right, in BBC's "Sherlock."
"Martin's range from the dramatic to the comedic has consistently impressed us," producer Kevin Feige said in a press release. "We couldn't be more honored or excited to have such a talented actor join the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
With this addition, Marvel may have secured its UK demographic: Now it can claim it has both Sherlock and Holmes from the popular BBC show "Sherlock" as characters in future films. Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes, will play the sorcerer supreme Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel's "Doctor Strange," coming in late 2016.
Though Cumberbatch will get to star in his own Marvel film, it's unclear if Freeman's character will receive his own solo treatment at any point. All we know is he will appear in some form in "Captain America: Civil War," which already features a giant roster of names and actors, including Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), and Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther).
Spider-Man also plays a vital role in the "Civil War" storyline from the Marvel comics, so unless Freeman is playing the web slinger himself, it will be interesting to see how Marvel has chosen to utilize Freeman's versatility as an actor. Perhaps he will only provide a voice to an animated character, in the same way Josh Brolin, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel provided their voices to CGI characters in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
"Captain America: Civil War" hits theaters May 6, 2016.