Marvel’s Phase 3 is about to begin with the highly anticipated Captain America: Civil War, which will not only have two of the franchise’s biggest heroes facing off against each other, but it will also bring together most of the current line-up of the MCU (minus Thor, Hulk, and the Guardians). Civil War will also introduce newcomers Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland), as well as other non-superhero characters, such as Zemo (Daniel Brühl) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman).

So far there have been few details revealed about Freeman’s character, and so far there has only been a handful of images of Everett Ross released. In the comics, Ross has an important link to one of the new characters of the MCU, so could this be the beginning of a longer relationship between Martin Freeman and Marvel Studios?

During his appearance on The Graham Norton Show next to his Civil War co-star Paul Rudd, Freeman confirmed that Marvel Studios has plans for him and his character beyond Civil War.

“Please, God. Yeah. Yes, that’s the plan. It’s a fairly small role at this stage.”

As mentioned above, in the comics Everett Ross holds a connection with none other than Black Panther. Ross works for the US Government and is assigned to Wakanda, where he meets T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther. The two work together against many threats, with Ross becoming a frequent ally of the ruler of Wakanda.

In the movie, Ross is part of the Joint Counter Terrorist Center, where he will come face to face with the de facto leaders of the film’s warring factions, Captain America and Iron Man. It’s only a matter of days until fans get to know how Ross plays into the Sokovia Accords and Winter Soldier conflicts, and if his role in Civil War will make way for more participation from Freeman and an increased profile for the Ross character in future movies.

With the his connection to Black Panther and with both being introduced in Civil War, perhaps the next place that Freeman will be seen within the MCU is in T’Challa’s solo film, Black Panther. With what will almost certainly be a smaller cast centered on Boseman’s titular hero, it stands to reason that might be placed in a much bigger role than the one he has in Captain America’s third movie. It’s nearly impossible to say how much Marvel’s plans for Freeman cover, but let’s hope we will see more of him beyond Black Panther’s corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Captain America: Civil War opens in theaters May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man: Homecoming – July 7, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on July 12, 2019, and on May 1, July 10, and November 6 in 2020.

Source: The Graham Norton Show (via CBR)