Martin Freeman on his “ambiguous” Captain America: Civil War character

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Since the casting of Martin Freeman in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR was announced, everyone has been trying to figure out who he is playing. Mark Millar said the role is pretty obvious and that he will not be in costume, but Marvel Studios has yet to confirm his character's name.

In an interview with Bad Taste, Freeman himself shed a little bit of light on his role without divulging exactly who he will be playing.

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.”

The fact that he works for the American government doesn't narrow the list much but it does help us imagine the style in which Freeman will approach the character. Known primarily for his comedic work on the BBC version of The Office and in Edgar Wright's HOT FUZZ and THE WORLD'S END, Freeman has proven to be an adept dramatic actor on series like Sherlock and Fargo as well as Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT. I am not concerned that he is being added her as comedic relief as there are a lot of actors that could have been chosen for that.

Joe and Anthony Russo are set to bring us the biggest non-AVENGERS film from Marvel Studios and each additional tidbit of information promises a massive, sprawling film. I just hope that they are able to strike a balance that was missing from Joss Whedon's AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and give us a movie we don't have to nitpick.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR opens on May 6, 2016.