Freeman, 43, who played Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" trilogy
and won an Emmy for his role as Dr. John Watson alongside
Benedict Cumberbatch's crime-solving detective in BBC's popular
"Sherlock" series, is joining the cast of "Captain America:
Civil War."
It is not known yet what role he will play in Marvel Studios'
third installment of "Captain America," in which Chris Evans
will reprise his role as the patriotic superhero and is
scheduled for release in May 2016.
"Martin's range from the dramatic to the comedic has
consistently impressed us," said Kevin Feige, president of
Marvel Studios and producer of the films.
Marvel Studios has had a string of blockbuster hits with its
cinematic superhero franchises. "Avengers: Age of Ultron," its
latest film, has amassed $204 million in North America since its
May 1 release.
In "Civil War," which will pick up the story from the end of
"Age of Ultron," the superheroes will be forced to side with
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America as the two
battle each other.
Freeman notably starred in the 2001 British mockumentary series
"The Office" and more recently last year received Emmy
nominations for his role as a cowed, small-town insurance
salesman in FX's hit miniseries "Fargo."
Freeman's "Sherlock" co-star, Cumberbatch, will also be joining
the Marvel universe as the complex lead of "Doctor Strange,"
scheduled for release in November 2016.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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