Netflix puts out a ton of original content, both movie and TV projects. Those with a Netflix subscription were recently treated to Enola Holmes 3 with actors like Himesh Patel returning alongside Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown. The 35 year-old actor is only the latest performer to portray Dr. Watson on the screen, and it turns out he got the thumbs up from another former Watson while filming on horseback.

Enola Holmes has been trending on Netflix since its release, so clearly the franchise has staying power. As you can see in the video above, I spoke with the Enola Holmes 3 cast ahead of its release. When I asked Patel about the other version of Dr. Watson from popular media, he revealed the wild conversation he had with Martin Freeman while filming the threequel. In his words:

How funny is that? These two Watsons seem to be good buddies, and Martin Freeman gave Himesh Patel some encouraging words while he was literally on horseback filming the third Enola Holmes movie. We'll just have to wait and see if Freeman ends up watching the threequel, and if he appreciates this very different take on his signature role.

Fans are still wondering about Sherlock Season 5, even all these years later. So it would make sense if Patel was inspired by Martin Freeman's performance when crafting his take on Dr. Watson. But in our conversation, the Emmy-nominated actor explained how he approached the beloved character, saying:

While he didn't try to emulate his predecessors, it's clear that Himesh Patel has respect for the Watsons that came before him. Especially Martin Freeman, who was able to really flesh out his version of the Doctor during his four seasons starring in Sherlock. Luckily they seemingly have a good relationship, and there's therefore no competition.

Enola Holmes 3 is streaming now on Netflix as part of the 2026 movie release list. The movie left the door open for yet another sequel, so we'll have to wait and see if the streaming juggernaut confirms another movie is coming.

From Twihards to Trekkies, fandoms have been vocal about what they love and what they hate. So it’s not surprising to see them openly spill the tea on what actors they feel actually hate their own fandoms. Some of the celebrities named are more surprising than others, with fans dropping everyone from Sherlock’s Martin Freeman to Robert Pattinson. But do these actors really dislike their own fandoms?

Some of the actors mentioned have been vocal in the past about certain things they don’t love about their fandoms, such as William Shatner, who has allegedly made comments about Star Trek in the past. Though this hasn’t stopped fans from calling for him to run the franchise. Some feel these actors make valid points. However, others feel there’s no excuse for the hate they get from celebrities. Several on a popular Reddit thread have been blunt with their opinions, with posts reading:

• Princescyther: Martin Freeman. Specifically, Sherlock fans lol. He seems like a grumpy old bugger, too, so it makes sense.
• whimsy_moth: Joseph Quinn. In the early days after his career took a turn after Stranger Things, he was deluged with parasocial fans.
• ButIfYouThink: William Shatner - He has, on multiple occasions and for decades, derided Trekkies. He doesn't like doing the convention circuit, and fought against the image that he is just known for Captain Kirk for many, many years.
• She_Says_Tapir: Bill Nye the Science Guy. He is really fun and friendly if you just talk to him like a normal guy and pretend not to recognize him. But if you get all excited and fan girl out, he is super gruff and kind of a mean old man vibes.
• Puzzled_End8664: Star Wars fans can be pretty rabid. That being said, [George Lucas] seems like he doesn't think anyone should question his artistic vision of Star Wars.

Some of these fans are defending the actors’ reasons for not liking their fandoms, claiming it’s the constant limelight that they hate, not necessarily the people themselves. Dramatic_Movies says, “A lot of celebrities seem overwhelmed more than anything. Constant attention, constant expectations.” This is an understandable argument, as we have seen many, particularly young actors, crushed by the pressure of stardom.

BualadhBoss brings up Martin Freeman, who they claim blames nearly losing his role as Bilbo in The Hobbit on Sherlock fans. Reportedly, Peter Jackson wanted him badly enough that he was willing to work around the actor’s filming schedule.

Others don’t seem bothered when actors are gruff towards fans. In fact, some seem amused by it, such as RickySuezo, who says, “Harrison Ford hates everybody.” Many point out Ford’s viral Star Wars comments, where he often seems tired of the franchise. Another, Decent-Dragonfly6460, came to the defense of Ford, saying it’s his sour demeanor that everybody loves:

Then there are more serious allegations. For in stance, user Kneecap_Blaster claims Bill Nye made a 6th grade girl cry. They allegedly went with their sister’s class to hear him speak, and that, “Bill phoned it in in front of thousands of kids who idolized him, and made a child cry that day, he's a POS in my book.” The science guy hasn’t been in much since cutting ties with Disney, but he has made minor appearances, such as in an episode of High Potential.

Others are arguing that it’s just certain fandoms' celebrities don’t like, and not all of them. One example given is Robert Pattinson, who mixi_e says, “For me, [he] just didn’t like the Twilight side of his fandom, even when he was promoting the movies, you could see how much he disliked them.” The actor has been open about his feelings toward Twilight, but he’s also happily promoted other projects, such as dishing upcoming The Batman Part II night shoots he has. He has also recently revealed what he asked Christopher Nolan about The Odyssey.

For fans of these actors, many of them can be seen in upcoming 2026 movie releases, such as The Odyssey, set for this summer. We'll have to see how many more names get added to this reddit thread.

How To Watch The Responder Season 2 Online

Watch The Responder Season 2: Synopsis

The BBC is on a streak at the moment, with some of its most watched original dramas in recent years getting big second seasons. Vigil, The Tourist and Blue Lights have all made popular returns, and now it's the turn of The Responder Season 2.

Set in Liverpool in the UK, The Responder is centered on Chris Carson. Played by a Bafta-nominated Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock), Carson is a cop struggling with an unravelling private life, the damage caused by childhood trauma, and a career moving in the wrong direction. Previously an inspector, he now patrols the city's streets by night.

Unable to do right for doing wrong, Season 1 saw the protagonist become personally embroiled in a murky web of dodgy drug deals and aggravated robberies, putting a strain on his conscience that no amount of therapy was likely to ease.

The Responder delivered the same levels of tension, pathos and black humor in its second run, in which Carson sought to repair his ailing marriage to Kate (MyAnna Buring), find some redemption with his abusive father (Bernard Hill) and hit the streets once again with junior partner Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo).

Find out all the details about the series below including how to watch The Responder Season 2 online and stream every episode wherever you are in the world.

How to watch The Responder Season 2 online free in the UK

The Responder Season 2 returned on May 5, with new episodes airing on the free-to-air channel, BBC One every Sunday at 9pm BST for its five episode run. 

All episodes are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer, which you can access on desktop and through a number of devices via its app.

It's free to sign-up for a BBC iPlayer account. All you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. W12 7RJ). You should also have a valid TV licence.

And if you haven't yet seen Season 1 yet, all previous episodes can also be streamed for free via the BBC iPlayer.

Away from the UK? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home...

How to watch The Responder from anywhere

If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch The Responder just as you would at home. 

While BBC iPlayer is for licence fee-paying Brits and blocks access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN which can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world. 

For example, UK citizens in the States can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK-based server and tune into all the programmes on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world, just like you would back home.

How To Use A VPN To Unblock Streaming Services:

1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN, costing from just $3.69 a month with its 2-year plan

2. Connect to a server – for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server located in the UK

3. Stream away! – login to your streaming service – BBC iPlayer in this instance – and stream like you were in your home country

How to watch The Responder Season 2 free online in Australia

For Australian viewers, The Responder Season 2 aired on the SBS channel. The season started with a double-header on Thursday, May 30 at 9.30pm AEST with all episodes now available via the network's SBS On Demand service. It’s a completely free service – just create an account and start streaming.

How to watch The Responder Season 2 in North America

The Responder season 2 is set for a slightly later release in the US and Canada, with a double-bill premiere on Thursday, July 11 on BritBox. The streamer will then drop two episodes the following Thursday, with the finale set for July 25. 

The first season of The Responder found a home on both Amazon Prime Video and BritBox in North America. You can catch up with Season 1 episodes on those streaming services if you're in the US or Canada.

British crime drama fans might want to tune in to that timeslot now though, because The Responder will follow the airing of Blue Lights season 2.

So if you're a Brit or Aussie abroad who's desperate to watch, then we can only suggest that you try using a VPN to avoid the geo-restrictions that the BBC iPlayer and SBS On Demand put in place.

The Responder Season 2 Trailer

The Responder Season 2 Episodes Schedule

Episodes aired every Sunday on BBC One at 9pm BST for the five episode run. All episodes are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

• Episode 1 – Sunday, May 5
• Episode 2 – Sunday, May 12
• Episode 3 – Sunday, May 19
• Episode 4 – Sunday, May 26
• Episode 5 – Sunday, June 2

Upon first glance, Miller’s Girl is a romantic thriller set in a dark academia world that seems entrancing. And in moments, it is. Starring Jenna Ortega as Cairo, a highly intelligent 18-year-old high school student, and Martin Freeman as Mr. Miller, her English teacher, Jade Halley Bartlett’s directorial debut is meant to be an examination of power dynamics through the dangerous relationship between this pupil and educator. However, because the film tries so hard to be ambiguous and complex, it doesn’t exactly complete the assignment at hand. If anything, it just creates more questions. 

Miller’s Girl follows Ortega’s Cairo as she develops a relationship with Mr. Miller while writing her midterm paper. For the project – which requires her to mirror the style of an author she admires – she pens an erotic short story about a young girl having an affair with a teacher, and it becomes abundantly clear that she’s referring to herself and Mr. Miller.

From there, things get complicated, and both parties end up dealing with the conflicts of the paper and their romantic feelings for one another. However, Cairo also has ulterior motives, because there is the sense that she’s trying to play Mr. Miller the whole time. 

Filled with gorgeous gem-toned imagery and powerful performances from Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman, Miller's Girl has the potential to address ideas of power imbalance, what creates a villain, and the complexities of controversial relationships. However, as it tries to address all these ideas at once, things get muddled, and everything going for this film can’t save it from its gross storyline. 

Miller’s Girl feels like entering Jenna Ortega’s perfectly painted dark academia world.

Much like the project that made Jenna Ortega a household name, the Netflix series Wednesday, Miller’s Girl has a distinct aesthetic that is gothic and gorgeous. However, rather than things being monochromatic, this movie uses dark gem tones to create Cairo’s world of dark academia. 

Notably, the cinematography by Daniel Brothers elevats the small town Cairo lives in, and it is shot in a way that makes you feel as though you are living in these fantastical dark academic worlds of books like The Secret History and If We Were Villains.

When you mesh the oak wood colors of the school and the emerald greens of Cairo’s home with her black and white style, you get this perfectly painted gothic portrait of Jenna Ortega’s character’s world. 

Throughout the film, we see Cairo go from wearing preppy light-colored outfits – like simple white shorts and a pin-striped button-down – to wearing dark blacks and leather. The evolution of her style helps us process the transformation she’s going through as she writes this story and gives it to Mr. Miller.

Lauren Bott’s costume design is immaculate in this sense. She dresses Jenna Ortega to the nines and helps us understand her character and the transformation she’s going through.

Ortega plays in this brilliantly decorated world of dark academia as Cairo, and she gives a subtle yet haunting performance of a young woman who transforms from an innocent child into a vengeful woman.

Miller’s Girl’s style doesn’t cover up its icky premise.

Despite this stunning gothic portrait of a world and Jade Halley Bartlett’s script full of dramatic prose, the premise behind Miller’s Girl is something that is hard to get behind. 

Considering this is a romantic thriller, obviously a relationship between a teacher and student is made out to be a harmful and controversial one. However, it is difficult to see past how dangerous a relationship like this can be and the complex and gross power dynamics at play and see the greater goal behind the film.

Creating a story based around a relationship steeped in unbalanced power and a major age difference makes for an uphill battle when it comes to winning an audience over, even when both characters in the film are intentionally unlikeable. 

Even though Martin Freeman’s Mr. Miller acts like he’s being played in this whole situation, he should have said no to Cairo’s advances. On the flip side, Cairo is a highly intelligent kid, and you’d think she would see the consequences of her actions coming. However, when Mr. Miller condemns her story, she turns villainous. Overall, both characters are naive to the situation around them when it’s suggested that they’re smart enough to know better. 

Their lapses in judgment and logic are why it’s difficult to see the greater point in their relationship in Miller's Girl. It's not a satisfying film to watch, as the deeper meaning attempting to be achieved through this icky plot is only that: an attempt. It’s not necessarily successful. 

Miller’s Girl tries really hard to say something, but it gets too caught up in trying to be complicated.

Cairo makes a point that she wants to “experience something she didn’t understand,” and it’s hard to tell if she ever comes to understand it. Like the high school girl at the center of the story who is trying to write about a subject she doesn't know about, this film does the same thing. Miller’s Girl works very hard to be ambiguous and blunt at the same time, which only elicits questions rather than answers. 

Is this film about misguided and untapped potential? Is it about the imbalances of power? Is it about Cairo finding power in this messed-up situation? 

If the film tried to answer one of these questions through the relationship between Cairo and Mr. Miller, it likely would work, and when it really hones in on one point, you can recognize its potential. 

When Mr. Miller’s complacency in this situation is bluntly addressed, and we see Cairo and his wife confront him about it and his career, for example, that is thrilling. However, when you add in the leading character’s motivation to try and start this relationship with her confusingly mixed feelings about Mr. Miller, it’s hard to really dig into any specific points trying to be made without getting confused. 

To make a plot like this work and send a message, the script needed to be a pointed attack, but Miller's Girl is unfocused in its actions and motive, so it’s hard to understand the goal of the main character’s mission (as well as the movie on the whole). 

Take the scene where Mr. Miller returns Cairo’s phone to her house as proof. After flirting for a while, this moment seems to be when they act on their feelings and kiss. Conversely, it later becomes unclear if this actually happened or if it was all in Cairo’s story. The ambiguity creates chaotic confusion rather than clarity about the two’s feelings, making it hard to understand why either of them are in this relationship in the first place. 

The blurred lines between reality and fiction feel intentional, and it seems like they’re trying to point out a greater purpose when it comes to the inevitable consequences of relationships like these. But this is guesswork; the point of all this is hard to parse out, which makes attempting to deal with this uncomfortable relationship difficult. 

Maybe the ambiguity is the point, and maybe Miller’s Girl is supposed to leave viewers with more questions than answers. Overall though, while this film is gorgeous on the surface and haunting on first thought, when you think more about it, it feels like a confusing trip through this character’s twisted mind that leaves the uncomfortable feelings lingering.  

It was the first of many nights before Christmas, but my wife wanted to get in the holiday spirit a bit early. Having recently seen CinemaBlend's list of best Christmas movies on Netflix, I suggested we use our Netflix subscription to watch a movie I'd seen countless times on television: Love Actually. Little did I know my first viewing on streaming would be a memorable experience, as this was an entirely different movie than what I originally thought. 

Prior to this latest viewing, I thought Love Actually was a pretty tame movie, if not a tad boring. Still, we fired up the movie with our daughter in the room, not even glancing at the rating or anything of that matter. It's a Christmas movie, after all, and how many holiday movies have anything unsuitable for children? Well, it turns out this one does, and I had to quickly usher my child off to her room when I was blindsided by a movie far raunchier than I ever thought. 

I Had No Idea Martin Freeman And Joanna Page Were In The Movie

When I saw Martin Freeman pop up in Love Actually, I was surprised. How could I, someone who is crossing all their fingers hoping Sherlock Season 5 will happen, not remember that Freeman was not in this movie? Furthermore, what was he doing grinding up against Joanna Page while they were both clothed? I was very confused right up until Page took her shirt off, and then I started to understand. 

As Mental Floss and others have pointed out, the television version of Love Actually typically removes all of Martin Freeman and Joanna Page and their characters' scenes from the movie. It's understandable considering once scrubbing out all of the scenes in which they're nude, it's kind of hard to piece together the clothed scenes at the end and explain what they have to do with any of the other stories. CinemaBlend ranked John and Judy's story as the least enjoyable Love Actually couple in a ranking list, so it's no surprise little is lost nixing it. 

The nude scenes on Netflix weren't the end of the world, even if they were jarring. What it did create, though, was an awareness that really tuned me into the fact Love Actually isn't the movie I thought it was. It might be one of Hugh Grant's best romantic comedies, but it's also fairly raunchy in a way I hadn't previously realized. 

Other Parts Of Love Actually Haven't Aged Well 

It may be on a list of the best romantic comedies of all time, but that doesn't mean there are parts of Love Actually that don't garner criticism in 2023. By his own admission, director Richard Curtis realized it hadn't aged well after a conversation with his daughter about the comments made about Natalie's weight throughout the movie. I also picked up on those comments and thought even for 2003, the weight comments were a little iffy for the script. 

Take that paired with another nude scene featuring Laura Linney, and my whole perspective on Love Actually has shifted permanently. This movie is way more explicit than I ever realized watching it on television, and I'm not sure I can go back to watching it and not see the actual theatrical version. My life is forever changed just ahead of the holidays and it has me rethinking this one as a holiday classic. 

Love Actually is available to stream right now on Netflix for those who love the movie and already know about the theatrical version. I may be in the minority on this one, as the movie comes in at nineteen in CinemaBlend's Best Christmas Movies of all time. 

There was a time when Sherlock was on top of the world. Regarding the most interesting Sherlock TV shows or movies, the U.K. series, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, was one of the best and continues to be a favorite for many.

However, it's been a decent amount of time since the last season of Sherlock was released. Season 4, which came out in 2017, has long been seen as the show's conclusion. Sherlock was never technically cancelled, but Season 5 has not been confirmed, and there are reasons for that. Here’s what’s been said.

What The Creators Have Said

There’s actually plenty that the creators themselves have said about returning to Sherlock, things that point towards something happening in the future:

Steven Moffat Would “Write Tomorrow” If The Main Stars Returned

The first thing we have to talk about is that Steven Moffat, the co-creator of Sherlock, has openly said that he would start "writing today" if both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman wanted to return to their roles in the show. PLAY SOUND

In an interview that Moffat did with BBC Today (via The Independent) in January 2023, he said that he would begin working on Season 5 if the two main actors were able to return to the roles despite their hectic schedules:

Moffat Has Planned A Season 5 – Years Ago

In 2014, Steven Moffat said that Season 5 was planned out simultaneously with Season 4. At a BAFTA screening for the Season 3 finale, "His Last Vow" (via The Independent), he revealed that both he and Mark Gatiss, the other creator, had worked on both series (seasons) 4 and 5 for the show:

It’s been about ten years since this interview, and no fifth season has been announced, but it’s always nice to know that they do have a Season 5 planned out regardless. Maybe one day we’ll get to see it.

What The Stars Have Said

It’s all fine and dandy to hear the creators speak about Season 5, but what have the main stars of Sherlock said about returning to the franchise?

Benedict Cumberbatch Has Said “Never Say Never”

Benedict Cumberbatch, who won a Primetime Emmy for playing Sherlock Holmes, said in an interview with Esquire in November 2021 that he says "never say never" to returning to Sherlock for a fifth season. The circumstances "need to be right" for him to come back:

Benedict Cumberbatch has been extremely busy since Sherlock ended its fourth season in 2017. Not only has he taken on the role of Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (playing the sorcerer in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), but Cumberbatch has done so many other great movies since. Besides that, he also starred in his own miniseries, Eric, on Netflix, which was one of the best shows to binge on Netflix. He’s also appeared in movies like The End We Start From, The Book of Clarence, and more, and is set to appear in a new film called The Roses.

In an interview to Variety in January 2025, Cumberbatch commented that he would only do a Season 5 of the show if it’s better than any other season they have ever done:

With that in mind, it might be some time before we see more Sherlock from him.

Martin Freeman Could Return If There’s A “Good Script”

You can't have Sherlock without Watson. In any iteration of the famous franchise, Watson is always there to help the man, and Martin Freeman was the perfect casting to go with Benedict Cumberbatch. The good thing is that Freeman says he would return to – provided there was a "good script."

In an interview that Freeman did on The Jonathan Ross Show in November 2022, he revealed that the "door is never shut" on Season 5 of Sherlock, and that he would come back if there were a good story for them to tell:

Martin Freeman has also been recently successful over the last few years. He too joined the MCU to play Everett Ross, and he's appeared in many other movies and shows, including A Christmas Carol, The Operative, Ode to Joy, and the TV shows Angelyne and Breeders, so he's been quite busy. He even co-starred in Miller's Girl with Jenna Ortega in 2024, and he also had a role in the Marvel TV show, Secret Invasion, a role he reprised from the MCU.

Could There Be A Movie?

The last thing we should mention is that Sherlock Season 5 could become a movie if given the opportunity. t.

In an interview that Mark Gatiss did with The Guardian in July 2023, he was asked why he likes to turn big IPs like Sherlock and Dracula into miniseries rather than films. Gatiss said that he was genuinely interested in making them for TV and that it's hard to get people interested in cinema. Adding that on, he also said he would "love" to make a Sherlock movie:

While this doesn't confirm that he would do that, it's also a great thing to bring up, considering I have seen plenty of miniseries and shows go that route. And realistically, that might better fit into Cumberbatch and Freeman's busy schedules compared to a multi-episode series, where every episode is decently long. Who knows?

In fact, a producer behind Sherlock, Sue Vertue, spoke to Deadline in October 2024 at the Amazon Prime Video Trailblazers event in London about the possibility of continuing the story, saying that there is “a future” for those characters:

With this said, I’m starting to think a movie might be exactly what we need.

Either way, Sherlock Season 5 still isn't confirmed, and we'll likely have to wait for news for a while, if ever. But until then, I'll rewatch the show and be sad that I'm still waiting – or maybe check out the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock movies again.

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been chock full of surprises, thanks to projects on the small and silver screens. The most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is definitely Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is just days away from its release. The stakes feel high given the sense of mourning happening IRL, and actor Martin Freeman recently reveaeld how Chadwick Boseman contineud to be “inspiration” to the cast of Black Panther 2 after his death. 

Actor Chadwick Boseman’s death in the summer of 2020 shocked the public and colleagues alike, as he had privately been battling colon cancer. It feels like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will honor both the late actor and his character T’Challa. Martin Freeman will be returning to the franchise as Everett Ross, and he spoke to Sky News about being unaware of his colleague’s medical struggles, offering:

But in the end Chadwick Boseman had the right to medical privacy, and didn’t share his struggles with colon cancer with folks like the cast and filmmaker Ryan Coogler. That’s partly what made his passing such a tragic shock: almost no one was considering that the acclaimed actor might be gone so soon.

Martin Freeman’s comments come as he’s promoting his role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He’s been noticeably missing from trailers, although Marvel is known for its tight security. And from everything we’ve seen from the mysterious sequel, it sounds like it’s going to be an emotional story where art imitates life– especially regarding the plot line about T’Challa dying.

Later in that same interview, Martin Freeman explained how Chadwick Boseman continued to be inspiration for those working on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, despite leaving a gaping hole in the set. Namely because of what a badass he was on various film sets, which are known for being a grueling, exhausting place. As he put it:

This sense of awe over what Chadwick Boseman was able to do on film sets while dealing with such a serious medical condition has been echoed by those who have worked with him on projects like Black Panther and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. And that’s just one example of how Boseman’s presence loomed over the set of Wakanda Forever. As a reminder, you can check out the latest trailer for the blockbuster below,

There are countless questions about the contents of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and luckily they’ll be answered in a matter of days. Perhaps the biggest was who is going to take on the mantle of the Panther, although all signs point to one character in particular. And with Namor the Sub-mariner making his entrance into the MCU, fans are wondering how this might influence the upcoming entrance of mutants and the X-Men. In the meantime, some folks out there might be re-watching the Marvel movies in order. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going for more than a decade, but it has, arguably, never had a movie make the kind of impact that Black Panther did. Director Ryan Coogler's Oscar-winning superhero movie, featuring a predominantly Black cast, is considered to be one of the best Marvel movies – if not the best – meaning it was only a matter of time before Black Panther 2 would receive the greenlight.

The, arguably, most anticipated chapter of the Marvel Phase 4 movies and one of the biggest 2022 fall movies has, previously, been subject to a number of setbacks and hardships, especially with the death of star Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, but is coming out very soon. We shall discuss when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters and everything else we know about the movie.  

The Black Panther 2 Release Date Is Set For November 2022

In August 2019, around the time its working title was still Black Panther II, Agent Everett Ross actor Martin Freeman revealed in an interview with Uproxx that the sequel would go into production in 2021. That much would prove to be true, with plans to film the movie in Georgia in June of that year going strong, but establishing an official release date was a different story.

At 2019’s D23 Expo, director Ryan Coogler announced his Black Panther sequel was intended to release in May 2022. More than a year later, Kevin Feige confirmed at Disney’s Investor Day in December 2020 that the movie’s release date had shifted by a few months to July 8. However, star Letitia Wright’s on-set injury caused a production shutdown, leading to another delay before the current release date of Friday, November 11, 2022, was confirmed in October 2021.

Ryan Coogler Wrote And Directed Black Panther 2

Ryan Coogler both co-wrote and directed Black Panther and was, thus, integral to its success, so it is encouraging that he returned to write and direct Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This was expected, given the reception to what Coogler did with the first film and how it showered Disney with ticket sales worth their weight in Vibranium.

It bodes well that Disney made sure to lock down the director for the sequel. The first film was very much Coogler's vision and his return ensures that there will be creative continuity between the two films as the director tackles his first sequel.

Black Panther 2 Promises To Continue Exploring Wakanda’s World And Characters

There is still not much that we know about the story of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, whose official synopsis says it will “continue to explore the incomparable world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.” The sequel’s first official trailer did not expand on that vague description too much further than that either, but did drop a couple interesting hints and provided a glimpse of a Wakanda without its beloved king. 

Indeed, Black Panther 2 did go forward without the first film’s lead hero, Chadwick Boseman. Ryan Coogler said that making the sequel after Boseman’s death was one of the hardest tasks of his professional career, but still found it incredibly motivating when looking back on what the actor “gave us” through his talent and “how [he] lived his life.”

There is a theory that Letitia Wright’s character, Shuri – T’Challa’s brilliant younger sister – is going to take her late brother’s place as Wakanda’s protector, just as she does in the comics. While some might agree it is best to keep the sequel’s new lead hero a secret for now, this transition seems to have a lot of potential, based on a shot in the trailer of a new person donning the Black Panther costume and actors confirmed to appear on the cast.

Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, And More Are Returning To The Black Panther 2 Cast

As you can imagine, the cast list for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does not look like it used to following the loss of Chadwick Boseman, but many of our favorite supporting characters from the original Black Panther cast are set to reprise their roles. Among the returnees, we have Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. Martin Freeman is also set to appear as Agent Everett K. Ross along with Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, her Us co-star Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Florence Kasumba as Ayo. 

One notable newcomer to the Black Panther 2 cast include Emmy winner Michaela Coel, who was revealed as Dora Milaje warrior Aneka during SDCC. Despite previous comments by the film’s costume designer suggesting the contrary, as reported by ScreenRant, Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya will not return as W’Kabi, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with Jordan Peele’s hit horror movie, Nope. There is no telling at the moment if Killmonger will be revived in some way for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, despite how often Michael B. Jordan is asked about the subject.

Black Panther 2 Will Introduce Namor And Riri Williams Into The MCU

There are a couple of other newcomers to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast we certainly should mention. The official trailer already revealed the appearance of Tenoch Huerta as Namor, the Sub-mariner and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams. 

Former Narcos: Mexico star Huerta’s portrayal of the aquatic anti-hero marks his long-awaited MCU debut, alongside Mexican actress Mabel Cadena as his cousin, Namora. Following her breakout role in If Beale Street Could Talk, Thorne is making her debut as Tony Stark’s teenage successor before she leads the upcoming Ironheart TV show, which is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2023.

Ryan Coogler Is Planning A Black Panther Spin-Off Series For Disney+

Probably the one thing that most excites me and, I am sure, many others about this Black Panther sequel is the chance to go deeper into the world of Wakanda. The culture is fascinatingly unique, the scientific advancements are enlightening, and the natural landscape is simply a wonder to behold. Luckily, it appears that the MCU’s exploration of the country will not stop at the big screen.

You can now add a Black Panther spin-off series to your list of upcoming Marvel TV shows to look forward to. It was announced in February 2021 that Ryan Coogler and his production company secured a five-year deal to develop programming for Disney+, including one project set in Wakanda.

The success of this franchise, the scope of a country like Wakanda, and the love people have for this world and these characters is enough to incite an endless amount of stories that would continue to inspire generations. Let us hope that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever lives up to that promise and to the legacy of its late, beloved star.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expansive and features a variety of different franchises. But a few stand out as fan favorites, including Ryan Coogler’s Awards favorite Black Panther. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is definitely the sequel, titled Wakanda Forever. And one Black Panther actor explained the “odd” experience filming without Chadwick Boseman.

Fargo actor Martin Freeman made his MCU debut as Everett Ross in Captain America: Civil War, before having a major role in the first Black Panther movie. He’s set to appear in Wakanda Forever, as well as the Disney+ series Secret Invasion. Freeman recently spoke to Collider about his role in Ryan Coogler’s Marvel sequel, and described what the late Chadwick Boseman’s absence felt like on set, saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like while Martin Freeman enjoyed being back in the world of Wakanda in Black Panther 2, it definitely felt different on set thanks to the loss of Chadwick Boseman. Although it’s comforting to see how much Freeman loves playing Everett Ross in the MCU.

Chadwick Boseman passed away in the summer of 2020, to the shock of colleagues and his generations of fans. While some were worried about how the Black Panther franchise would continue without its title character, filmmaker Ryan Coogler adjusted the story in a way to honor both T’Challa and Boseman himself. While he’s described this as the most difficult task of his professional life, the cast seems thrilled with what the Creed director brought to the set. 

Later in that same interview, Martin Freeman spoke more to the strong emotions that came up on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever related to Chadwick Boseman. The late actor was known for how he led the set with such positivity, which is no doubt part of why there was such a void when filming the sequel. As Freeman put it,

We'll just have to wait and see what Ryan Coogler and company have in store for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The stakes are certainly high, and the movie will no doubt have additional emotional stakes based on what happened in real life. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently set to arrive in theaters on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

There's a lot going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe right now, as Phase Four of the MCU kicked off earlier this year with WandaVision. A number of new Disney+ series and major films are also in various stages of production as well. Even so, maybe the source of the most speculation has been Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or Black Panther 2. This speculation, of course, stems from the untimely death of its lead, Chadwick Boseman, and his loss is still pretty raw for the actor's loved ones and fans. The loss of the star is crippling in so many ways, but the sequel seems to be moving along. Now, we have a new update from Martin Freeman, who has read the script for Wakanda Forever.

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Sherlock star Martin Freeman will be reprising his MCU role of Everett K. Ross, a character he played in the first Black Panther film and Captain America: Civil War. It’s unclear in what capacity he will appear in Black Panther 2, but he's already getting prepared to shoot the movie. In an interview with BBC’s The One Show (via Metro), Freeman shared his thoughts on writer-director Ryan Coogler's screenplay and teased when filming will begin. Here’s what the actor says, in his own words:

Martin Freeman may be excited, but it’s probably nothing compared to Marvel fans who are ready to return to Wakanda. Black Panther made a serious splash when it released a little over three years ago, and fans were patiently waiting for a sequel ever since they were first introduced to the technologically advanced nation. Chadwick Boseman's passing pushed production back a bit, as the creatives took time to sit with their thoughts and figure out how to best handle the loss of the lead actor.

Even though everyone involved in the sequel is pretty much sworn to secrecy about what to expect from the film, Freeman says he’ll be flying to the US in the next couple of months to begin shooting. This is great news for fans, as it seems a lot of the kinks have been worked out and shooting is right on track.

We already know Marvel Studios is not recasting Boseman's T'Challa, and we will not see any new footage of him via CGI, either. Despite the lack of details, we at least know the ball is seriously rolling on the film. It's also good to know the all-star cast is up on the content of the script and that they appear to be happy with it.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently set to release on July 8, 2022.

When actor Chadwick Boseman died it shocked millions. The actor had largely kept his battle with cancer secret so many did not know what it was he was dealing with and were not aware how serious it had gotten. For his fans, it meant never getting a chance to see the accomplished actor make a new movie, and that included, many assumed, the planned sequel to Black Panther. That film, now officially titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is moving forward, and while we're all wondering just how we'll get a Black Panther without Black Panther, one star of the film knows the answers, and he admits the whole thing is a little strange.

Martin Freeman, who plays the role of CIA agent Everett Ross, recently appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden and Freeman spoke a little bit about the upcoming film. The actor recently had a meeting with writer/director Ryan Coogler where Coogler took him through the story of Wakanda Forever, and it seems Freeman could not hide his shock at where the new movie is going. According to Freeman...

So just on the face of it, it sounds like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is going to be a wild ride, but in many ways that's to be expected. While we know that we're getting a Black Panther sequel, it's been made clear that the role of T'Challa is not being recast. Chadwick Boseman won't return using CGI or anything like that. But that means that the movie will have to find some way to deal with his absence. It's very likely the entire movie itself will be about the fact that T'Challa is gone.

And Martin Freeman admits that when he learned of Chadwick Boseman's death, he assumed that the planned Black Panther 2 simply would not happen. Now that it is, he hopes the movie is able to do justice to the legacy of the first film, which Boseman was largely responsible for.

Considering just how much Black Panther meant to so many people the sequel was going to have a high bar to clear even if things had gone as initial expected. Now the cast and crew have even more work ahead of them and even higher expectations to make something special. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will arrive in theaters July 8, 2022.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massively popular franchise, but there are a few properties that manage to stand out among the rest. Chief among them is Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, which made history with its success and was a massive step forward for inclusion. The sequel is currently in development, and Martin Freeman will reprise his role as Everett Ross. The Emmy Award-winning actor recently explained how shocking it still is to move on without Chadwick Boseman.

Actor Chadwick Boseman was a real-life hero to many, largely due to his Marel role as T’Challa aka Black Panther. Boseman died last summer after a private battle with colon cancer, with Ryan Coogler and company tasked with continuing the story of Wakanda while also honoring the late actor’s memory. Martin Freeman recently spoke to what it’s like thinking about Black Panther II without Boseman, saying:

It looks like Martin Freeman is in the dark regarding the future of the Black Panther franchise, just like the rest of us. And as other members of the cast and crew have previously expressed, it’s been a difficult task trudging forward without their beloved leader.

Martin Freeman’s comments to Collider show what it’s really like working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The studio is known for its notoriously high security, and that certainly extends to its actors. Because while Freeman will have a role in Black Panther II, not even he knows how the sequel will function without Chadwick Bosman.

The Infinity Saga is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Emotions are clearly high for everyone involved in Black Panther II. After all, the cast and crew are still very much mourning Chadwick Boseman at this time. These feelings will likely be amplified once filming actually begins, and both Boseman and T’Challa are absent.

It’s currently unclear what Black Panther II might entail, but Ryan Coogler and company have shut down rumors about T’Challa being recast, or Chadwick Boseman being brought back via visual effects. Fans are wondering who might take on the mantle next, with theories including Shuri, Okoye, and M’Baku.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on July 9th, 2021. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, with a ton of superhero franchises occupying the small and silver screens. But some properties stand out as fan favorites, chief among them being Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Development for the sequel is underway, and now a beloved cast member has confirmed their involvement: Martin Freeman.

Martin Freeman made his MCU debut as Everett Ross in Captain America: Civil War. The CIA operative’s role was greatly expanded in Black Panther, which saw him assisting T’Challa and Shuri and even using Wakandan tech. Freeman recently confirmed his role in Ryan Coogler’s sequel, saying:

Well, there you have it. While Martin Freeman seems pretty in the dark regarding how Black Panther II will continue on without Chadwick Boseman, the Hobbit actor knows that his character is set to appear in some capacity.

Martin Freeman’s comments to Collider are sure to be exciting for Black Panther fans who are eager for any update about the movie’s sequel. Trying to continue the story without Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa seems nearly impossible, but Ryan Coogler is finding a way to honor the late actor in the developing movie. Marvel fans can re-watch Martin Freeman’s time in the MCU so far on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Personally, I’m excited for Everett Ross to be yet another familiar face in Black Panther II. We haven’t seen him since the first movie, and I assume his time in Wakanda greatly changed the agent. Plus, who knows if he was snapped out of existence or not?

There are countless questions about Black Panther II, especially given the unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman. The Oscar-nominated actor died in August after a private battle with colon cancer, with the cast and crew trying to mourn while also developing a new sequel. T’Challa won’t be recast or digitally recreated, so fans are especially invested to see who will take on the mantle of Black Panther.

Black Panther II is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 8th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Given how exceptionally Black Panther performed on both the critical and commercial fronts in 2018, it’s hardly surprising that Marvel Studios eventually gave the green light to a sequel. Unfortunately, Black Panther 2 will lack its predecessor’s lead actor, as Chadwick Boseman passed away last August from complications related to colon cancer. The following December, Marvel producer Kevin Feige announced that T’Challa will not be recast for Black Panther 2, leaving the ultimate fate of the character shrouded in mystery.

Nevertheless, Black Panther 2 is still pushing forward as the first theatrical release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 5, with filming reportedly beginning this June. While we await story details for the sequel, let’s go over the actors who’ve been announced so far to make up the main cast, many of whom you’ll remember from our last Black Panther outing.

Letitia Wright

Wakanda has Princess Shuri to thank for many of its modern technological innovations, and T’Challa certainly wouldn’t have gotten far in Black Panther without his sister’s help, which included her giving him a nanotech-enhanced suit contained inside a Panther Habit. Letitia Wright reprised Shuri in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame; the former movie saw her attempting to extract the Mind Stone from Vision without killing him, and she participated in the latter movie’s climactic battle after being returned to life by Hulk’s Infinity Stones-powered snap. Because a new actor won’t be playing T’Challa in Black Panther 2, it’s been speculated that Shuri might inherit the Black Panther mantle like her comic book counterpart did, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Danai Gurira

Within the MCU, Danai Gurira’s Okoye leads the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s all-female special forces group. She was one of T’Challa’s key allies in Black Panther and fought alongside her king in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Presumably Okoye will still be leading the Dora Milaje when Black Panther 2 rolls around, so she’ll likely continue to support Black Panther (whoever that is) out in the field. It’s also worth noting that unlike T’Challa and Shuri, Okoye survived Thanos’ genocidal snap, so it might be interesting to touch on what life was like for her away from the Avengers during those five years when half of the universe’s population was gone.

Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia was once part of the Dora Milaje, but then shifted to being a War Dog, i.e. an international spy for Wakanda. It was also noted in Black Panther how she and T’Challa used to be romantically involved, and at the end of the the movie, it looked like they were resuming their relationship. However, Nakia did not appear in Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame, and because T’Challa won’t be involved in Black Panther 2, it stands to reason we won’t get to see the couple’s story properly concluded. Obviously it would be welcome for Black Panther 2 to explore how Nakia is dealing with T’Challa’s absence if something tragic has happened to him, but it would also be nice to learn what Nakia has been up to since Black Panther ended, including if she was among the people turned to dust by Thanos.

Winston Duke

The Jabari Tribe wasn’t on the best of terms with the rest of Wakanda at the beginning of Black Panther, and its leader, M’Baku, even challenged T’Challa for the right to lead Wakanda. Later on though, Winston Duke’s character ended being a key ally to T’Challa when Killmonger took the Wakandan throne, and by the end of Black Panther, he’d become a member of Wakanda’s national council. M’Baku was later seen battling Thanos’ forces in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, but with Black Panther 2 back to focusing on Wakandan life, hopefully we’ll see how M’Baku has settled into collaborating with Wakanda’s other prominent figures rather than keeping the Jabari isolated.

Angela Bassett

Ramonda didn’t have a whole lot to do in Black Panther, but it was clear that she was a good mother to both T’Challa and Shuri, as well as a wise ruler. Angela Bassett briefly reprised Ramonda in Avengers: Endgame, but Black Panther 2 provides the opportunity to give her a bigger role in this corner of the MCU. If the Wakandan throne is now empty, perhaps Ramonda could sit back in it while a new leader is chosen. Or, if Shuri is crowed Wakanda’s queen, then needless to say that Ramonda’s counsel would be most welcome as her daughter is getting the hang of leadership.

Martin Freeman

In the pages of Marvel Comics, Everett Ross is one of United States’ chief experts on Wakanda. Martin Freeman’s iteration of the character looked to be heading in that same direction, because although he and T’Challa got off on the wrong foot in Captain America: Civil War, during Black Panther, Ross ended up being of invaluable assistance during the final battle against Killmonger’s forces. It’s unclear if Ross is now a U.S. liaison to Wakanda when Black Panther 2 begins or if he’s been stationed elsewhere, but either way, I imagine if he finds his way back to the African nation, he’ll be received warmly.

Tenoch Huerta

Tenoch Huerta is arguably best known to American audiences for starring as Rafael Caro Quinto in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. He also had a two-episode stint in Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, and can be seen later this year in The Forever Purge. Huerta was the first new actor to be reported for Black Panther 2, although his involvement hasn’t been confirmed yet. If he does sign onto the sequel, Huerta would apparently play one of the movie’s antagonists, with some sources saying he could be cast as White Tiger. If that’s true, that would be taking the character in a different direction, as White Tiger is usually portrayed in a heroic light.

Black Panther 2 is currently slated for July 8, 2022. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on its development, including the announcements of more actors. In the meantime, you can learn what else the MCU is prepping for the big screen with our Marvel movies guide.

Following the jaw-dropping events of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel fans were scrambling to place each of the vast universe’s characters in one of two columns: those who survived and the snapped. It fueled tons of theories about where Endgame would go after audiences witnessed many of their beloved characters turn to dust. When the Avengers faced off against Thanos in the massive Endgame battle just about everyone answered Cap’s “assemble” call and a sigh of relief could be felt across the galaxy.

As we look ahead to the future of the MCU, Endgame still holds weight. In the highly-anticipated Black Panther 2 for example, did Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross make it through those five rough years? Here’s what the Sherlock actor says:

Whew! The Deputy Task Force Commander who fought alongside T’Challa and Wakandan soldiers to take down Killmonger in Black Panther may not have made an appearance in Endgame, but it looks like he’s still alive and well in the MCU. Martin Freeman told Uproxx he thinks his Marvel character survived the snap and the following regarding the development of the sequel:

Although the studio’s Phase Four slate recently revealed at San Diego Comic Con didn’t include Black Panther 2, Marvel chief Kevin Feige confirmed it was in development. The highly-anticipated sequel is still in early stages, as Feige recently said Ryan Coogler had just started working on the script. Black Panther 2 will likely be part of Phase Five, perhaps alongside Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Captain Marvel 2 and Blade.

Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross looks like he’ll be returning to the cast with Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Letitia Wright’s Shuri also expected to come back for the sequel. New details about the project, such as the villain remains to seen for Black Panther 2. Fans are rallying behind the idea of Namor being introduced into the universe by way of this sequel.

When we do pick up with the cast of Black Panther for the sequel, it will be exciting to see how the Snap affected life in Wakanda and what Everett Ross was up to during this time. In the comics, he becomes an expert on Wakandan culture and a trusted ally to T’Challa and his family.

Martin Freeman is currently promoting his new romantic comedy with Gotham’s Morena Baccarin, Ode To Joy. The movie is about a man (Freeman) with a neurological disorder that has feelings of joy make him faint. When Baccarin’s character comes into his life, this becomes a bit more of a problem. Ode to Joy is now available to rent.

Naturally the majority of T’Challa’s allies in Black Panther came from his home nation of Wakanda, but there was one outsider who lent some assistance in the conflicts against both Ulysses Klaue and Erik “Killmonger” Stevens: Everett Ross, who met T’Challa during the events of Captain America: Civil War. While we’re a long way off from getting to see Black Panther 2, Martin Freeman expects he’ll be reprising Ross during the sequel, saying:

While plugging his newest movie, Ode to Joy (which also stars Gotham’s Morena Baccarin), Martin Freeman was asked by Collider if there are any plans for him to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it doesn’t sound like any papers have been signed just yet, the Sherlock star is confident he’ll be participating in Black Panther 2, so it’s only a matter of time before everyone is officially put in order.

When exactly Everett Ross and the rest of the Black Panther gang will return is hard to say. Although it was officially confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that Black Panther 2 is in development, Phase 4 is already filled from 2020 to 2021 with both movies and Disney+ shows. So the earliest we could see the sequel is sometime in 2022, but there’s also the chance it could be saved for the following year.

Everett Ross has been a supporting character in the Black Panther corner of the Marvel mythology since 1998 (he was created by Christopher Priest and Kenny Martinez). In the Marvel Comics universe, he was a U.S. State Department employee who escorted foreign diplomats while they were in America, which is hold he met T’Challa. Eventually Everett became an expert in Wakandan culture and a trusted ally to T’Challa and the rest of the monarch’s family.

Within the MCU, Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross first served as the Deputy Task Force Commander of the Joint Counterterrorism Center in Captain America: Civil War, reporting directly to U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Everett worked alongside Tony Stark to apprehend Bucky Barnes after he was framed for the United Nations bombing, and when Helmut Zemo, the true perpetrator, was later captured, Everett oversaw his incarceration.

By the time Black Panther rolled around, Everett Ross was working in the field and ordered by the CIA to buy a vibranium sample from arms dealer Ulysses Klaue. That led him to crossing paths with T’Challa again, and while the two of them were initially at odds, Everett would help the Wakandan hero and his allies when they attempted to overthrow Killmonger from the throne by remotely piloting a Wakandan jet and destroying the advanced weaponry that was intended to be sent out of the country.

Everett Ross was last seen in the Black Panther mid-credits scene, where T’Challa announced Wakanda’s true nature to the world. Since many years passed between the events of Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, not to mention that it’s unclear how long after Endgame Black Panther 2 will take place, it’s entirely possible that by that point, Everett has developed a much closer relationship with Wakanda and its ruling family.

Along with Martin Freeman believing he’ll play Everett Ross again and Chadwick Boseman obviously reprising T’Challa, it’s also been confirmed that Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright will be back for Black Panther 2 as Shuri and Okoye, respectively. Behind the scenes, Ryan Coogler is back to direct the sequel and is currently writing the script.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Black Panther 2 as they come in, but for now, browse through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else is hitting the big screen during Phase 4 and beyond.

Brace yourselves, Sherlock fans, for another installment in the ongoing saga that chronicles whether or not the show will return for Season 5. For the record, this latest update seems to be a positive one. Creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are making it clear fans shouldn't assume they're done with Sherlock. The two confirmed they haven't said goodbye to the series just yet, despite both being hard at work on their new adventure Dracula.

Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat spend a lot of time together, especially since they're working on a new TV show. The two confirmed they do "talk" and even said they'd talked about Sherlock fairly recently. Granted, the gist of the conversation Gatiss shared with Radio Times seemed to be more of using a show element from Sherlock in their upcoming series, but it's better than no Sherlock talk at all!

The men left their future with the show open, but made it clear there isn't some secret production they're putting on with Sherlock. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are willing to return to their acclaimed drama, but only once they've wrapped up the current thing they're working on.

Of course, those who have been following Sherlock Season 5 updates know it's more complicated than getting Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat on board. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Freeman (John Watson) are far bigger stars than they were at the show's start, and coordinating their schedules to get them on a set for a prolonged amount of time will be a challenge. With all these key players tied up in other projects, Season 5 feels a long way off.

Especially as it seems not everyone is eager to return, as Martin Freeman has said he's fine with Sherlock taking a break after fan response to Season 4. Freeman made it clear he was speaking for himself when he made that comment, but -- since that point -- Mark Gatiss added to the possibility that Sherlock is done by saying he'd be fine with where Season 4 ended. Now he's teasing that may not be the case. It's an emotional roller coaster.

Luckily, CinemaBlend will ride that roller coaster through its ups and downs with each update until a decision is finally made regarding Sherlock's future. In the meantime, audiences can concern themselves with other things such as when the best new shows are headed to television. Be sure to visit and bookmark our midseason premiere guide for all the details.

The zombie corner of the horror genre has exploded over the course of the last two decades, with films like 28 Days Later... and Dawn of the Dead and TV shows like The Walking Dead taking these living corpses in some wild new directions. We've seen zombies in all shapes and sizes, so it's nice to see a film come around that strips the genre down to its basics and focuses on the human core of this monstrous world. That's what Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling's Cargo does, and the newly-released Netflix horror-drama represents an incredibly effective (albeit very slow) portrayal of the struggles of parenthood and morality.

Essentially a longer and more fleshed out remake of their 2013 short film of the same name, Cargo is Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling's take on a grounded and gritty zombie outbreak scenario. Set within the vast expanses of the Australian outback, we follow Andy (Martin Freeman) as he struggles to get his daughter to safety in a harsh world where anything and anyone can kill them at a moment's notice. The problem? Andy has a bite wound of his own, and he only has 48 hours to find salvation for his little girl before the virus claims him. What follows is a race against time and the elements (not to mention hordes of undead freaks) as a family man musters his remaining strength to fulfill his fatherly duties.

The first thing that needs to be said about Cargo is the fact that this is one of the less traditionally exciting zombie movies in recent memory, and that's almost entirely by design. Cargo's foundation is built upon family drama and emotional stakes more than headshots and gore, so the film relies more on a sense of dread than it does on jump scares or thrills. In that regard, Cargo has a bit more in common with the 2015 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Maggie (although it's arguably a far better movie) than it does with mainstream zombie fiction like The Walking Dead.

Ultimately, the slower pace generally works to Cargo's benefit. Andy's journey through the Australian wilderness (coupled with the continually ticking clock) provides a near-perfect backdrop to explore the inherent fears associated with parenting, and Andy's arc intentionally exhausts us as we watch one man get pushed to his absolute limits in a relatively small-scale (relative to other zombie movies) adventure. If you're tired of zombie fiction that seems that exist for no other reason than to offer up stories in which humans get torn to pieces, then this will represent a nice change of pace. In fact, there's relatively little gore in Cargo; the film seems far more concerned with its take on morality and broader questions.

Additionally, Cargo also seems to have quite a bit to say about colonization and the virtue of living a life in harmony with the natural world. Without feeling too heavy-handed, the film features several scenes in which Andy encounters members of indigenous tribes -- particularly one incredibly compelling girl named Thoomie (Simone Landers) -- and characters who represent stand-ins for white colonizers. The juxtaposition of these groups' intentions and desires ultimately meshes with Andy's personal arc incredibly well, and we're left to watch as this average man grapples with the question of the type of world that he wants to leave for his daughter. The zombie genre has long provided a way to present commentary on modern personal and social issues, and Cargo continues that tradition in a significant way.

However, on the flip side of that coin, there's an argument to be made that Cargo's Odyssey-style storytelling sometimes serves as its biggest drawback. The story inherently requires Andy to keep moving, but there are certain scenes in the film that would benefit from more attention and focus. One such sequence involves an encounter with another father in a similar situation, who doesn't seem to share Andy's sense of persistence.

Also, worth commending is Cargo's knack for world building without overextending itself. At this point in the existence of the zombie genre, audiences have become incredibly good at picking up context clues. We don't need specific pieces of exposition anymore, and Cargo wisely understands that we're smart enough to pick up on the nuances this world. Pharmaceutical items carried by characters show us how the world tried to cope with the growing threat of the undead, and the way characters talk about the possibility of rebuilding help emphasize that the planet did not fall to the zombies overnight. It's reminiscent of the early work done by the late George A. Romero in his original Night of the Living Dead, but it builds off of that work because we no longer need a constant stream of newscasts to tell us what these creatures are and how to deal with them.

Though it's as slow as the undead, Cargo is an effective horror-drama that takes a more cerebral approach to the zombie apocalypse. It won't get your pulse pounding like some other recent zombie properties, but it will get you thinking and leave you pondering your sense of family responsibility. If you're looking for a zombie movie that places less of an emphasis on gore and more of a focus on a thoughtful narrative, then this seems like the perfect blend of horror and drama for you.

Since premiering in 2010, the mystery drama Sherlock has been the subject of critical praise and fan adoration, and has since become a fixture in pop culture. It has been over a year since a new episode graced television, which means fans are craving its return. In March, however, Dr. Watson portrayer Martin Freeman reflected on the potential of another season, saying that overly obsessive fans' expectations have made working on the show less fun. Perhaps predictably, his co-star Benedict Cumberbatch had quite a sharp response, saying:

Benedict Cumberbatch shared his remarks with The Telegraph, the same publication that Martin Freeman made his own comments to, just a month before. Freeman made many headlines last month when he expressed the negative impact that fans' expectations have had on his enthusiasm to make more Sherlock, which routinely takes lengthy breaks between the large-scale productions. It wasn't the first time Freeman had discussed the pressure surrounding the series, though this marks the first time that Cumberbatch has vocalized how the two stars are handling those expectations with different reactions. Having different takes on that issue does not necessarily mean they have clashing opinions in other areas, though. So here's hoping this is just a chatty dust-up, rather than something more serious.

The final episode of Sherlock Season 4 aired in January 2017, and since then, no definitive plans have come together for a fifth batch of installments. Those potential plans are made all the more complicated by the consistently busy Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman needing to find the time in their schedules to make another season, assuming Steven Moffat's creative team gets another one written. The Oscar-nominated Cumberbatch can next be seen on the silver screen reprising his role as Doctor Strange in Avengers: Infinity War. Martin Freeman was last seen on-screen in the Marvel universe with a supporting role in the smash hit Black Panther.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's thoughts on Sherlock definitely brings rabid fan expectations for popular series to the forefront of the conversation. At a time when online death threats are hateful comments are regular ways for angered viewers to display their disgust, it's certainly worth a deeper look at how mega-popular shows' cast and crew members are affected. And Sherlock's fanbase is something of a doubled-edged sword, since the high-production value requires longer gaps between episodes, which causes fan expectations to grow more than they would between regular annual airings.

On the one hand, waiting can give the writers and producers, more time to craft something of a higher quality. On the other, fans want to see their favorite characters again and having to wait only builds those expectations to extraordinary heights. But no one wants that excitement to sour to a point where it turns stars away form wanting to make more.

While Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have different takes on the fandom and how that relates to producing more Sherlock, there is no need to break out Team Cumberbatch or Team Freeman t-shirts. Casts are comprised of regular people who, like their fans, share strong emotions about the series they pour their blood, sweat, and tears into. So while there is something to read here, I hope there isn't necessarily much to read about between the lines.

Watch Benedict Cumberbatch in Avengers: Infinity War when the superhero epic hits theaters April 27. Every season of Sherlock is currently available to stream on Netflix. While Sherlock is away there are some others shows you can check out in the meantime. Use our guides to TV's midseason and summer premieres to find them.

Keeping yourself alive in a zombie situation is hard enough as it is. Now, imagine having to keep an infant alive with zombies afoot. Now, imagine there are zombies, you are trying to still keep a baby alive, oh, and you are also not long for this world. That is the core premise of Netflix's upcoming horror-drama, Cargo, and the offering from the producers of The Babadook looks like nothing less than a heartbreaking foray into the world of the undead. Check out the newly-released trailer, below.

Not your typical zombie story, is it? Based on a 2013 Australian short film of the same name, Cargo follows a man named Andy (Black Panther's Martin Freeman) as he journeys through the Australian wilderness to find a safe haven for his daughter in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. The tragic part? Andy has been bitten and only has two days until he will turn into a flesh-eating monster. Along the way, Andy and his daughter encounter the horrors of humanity in the face of the end of the world (in the form of zombies, as well as the living), and a handful of survivors willing to lend a hand to this desperate man.

That premise alone is chock full of dramatic potential, and the team behind Cargo promises something very interesting for horror fans. Producers Kristina Ceyton and Jeff Harrison are onboard to help bring the project to life, and one of their most recent collaborations was the 2014 horror favorite, The Babadook. Given the sheer amount of fanfare that film received when it debuted, we have to wonder if Cargo will be able to deliver the same level of raw intensity and human emotion when it drops on Netflix.

One other thing worth noting about Cargo is that it is the latest in a long line of zombie movies to break from genre norms over the course of the last decade. Zombie movies arguably have saturated the horror landscape in the years since the late George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead debuted, but films like Maggie, Zombieland, and Warm Bodies have shown what directors can do with zombies by taking off-kilter approaches to the material -- whether those approaches are dramatic or comedic. Cargo seems to nestle comfortably into that concept by offering up a personal story about a father trying to keep his daughter alive, and hopefully, it will become one of the horror movies to watch out for this year.

Cargo will drop on Netflix later this year on May 18. Make sure to check the heart-wrenching zombie drama out when it debuts and check out our Netflix premiere guide and our movie premiere guide for more up-to-date information on 2018's most exciting and significant film releases!

Season 5 of Sherlock is looking a little less likely, and the fans have no one to blame but themselves. At least, that's what Martin Freeman seemed to indicate in a recent interview. In the conversation, he said all talk of immediately starting production for Season 5 went out the door for him after fan reception to Season 4 was so brutal.

Season 4 of Sherlock was far from the most acclaimed season of the series, as fans complained a lot of what the show did great in previous outings fell by the wayside in the show's latest season. Given fan response, it isn't hard to see why Martin Freeman and the rest of the Sherlock staff aren't too eager to rush right back into production for Season 5. Freeman even went so far as to say making the series is "not fun anymore," (via EW) and laid the blame mostly on the series' rabid fanbase.

Martin Freeman didn't have much to say about Season 4 of Sherlock opposed to other seasons, other than he thinks the main problem was that expectations for the season were too high. Freeman talked about those expectations, and the "Mini-Beatles," phenomenon that Sherlock has sparked:

The fact that Martin Freeman still feels this way about Sherlock over a year removed from the conclusion of Season 4 definitely says a lot about how eager he is to return for Season 5. Of course, he also has a lot of other options to pursue in Hollywood given his current celebrity, which has to help alleviate the pressure of needing to return to the hit series anytime soon. Perhaps things will change and in a couple months he'll feel differently, but it seems like Sherlock will not be returning in 2018.

Sherlock fans may not be seeing Season 5 anytime soon, but they can binge Seasons 1-4 anytime they want on Netflix. For a look at what shows are planning to make a return in 2018, head on over to our midseason premiere guide. For a look at what's coming to Netflix specifically in the near future, visit our Netflix premiere guide.

Warning! SPOILERS for Black Panther to follow. See it first, it's good!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of fun and interesting characters beyond just the main heroes, and Black Panther is no different. Ryan Coogler's film features many new and exciting characters, some of which we're excited to see return in a more prominent role. One side character that previously appeared in Captain America: Civil War, but took on a bigger role in Black Panther, was Martin Freeman's Everett Ross. The character takes on a much more active role in Black Panther and in so doing, the Everett Ross of the MCU further differentiated himself from his comic book inspiration. In the comics Everett Ross is a timid and straight-laced kind of guy and as Martin Freeman explained, he wanted something different for the character's on-screen depiction, saying:

Martin Freeman is correct that the "nervous white guy around a cool black guy" character has been done to death, so I can understand why he wouldn't want to play it that way, as he explained to Den of Geek. The actor already played the perpetually nervous white guy before in the first season of the excellent Fargo TV series. It sounds like Martin Freeman didn't have a lot of input, but Ryan Coogler wound up taking the character in a different direction anyway, and one that was less "nervous nelly" and more "guy in a bit over his head."

Agent Ross isn't exactly cool in Black Panther, at least not with Shuri, T'Challa and Nakia as around, but he is a character with agency who proves himself capable and useful. Although he isn't quite as nervous as his comic book counterpart, he is clueless at times about Wakanda and its technology, and is obviously concerned about the implications of Wakanda's power on the global stage. He is very much out of his element once the plot shifts back to Wakanda and is playing a lot of catch up, which is understandable. Plus, there was no way to prepare for a teenage girl calling him a 'colonizer.'

In Black Panther, Martin Freeman's Agent Ross strikes a nice balance between the sweaty-palmed bureaucrat of the comics and a capable character who is a real asset to the team. Part of this stems from his different background in the film universe. Everett Ross is a frequent presence in the Black Panther comics where he worked as a State Department liaison to T'Challa and Wakanda, but in the MCU, he is a CIA operative who works in a counter-terrorism capacity. He may not get a fancy suit or powers, but that is a badass job. That makes him far better suited to MCU adventures than his comic book counterpart. This shows when in the film's third act, Agent Ross proves an integral part of the team to reclaim the Wakandan throne as he stops the advanced tech from leaving the country.

You can catch Martin Freeman reprising Agent Everett Ross in Black Panther, which is in theaters and dominating the box office now. For all the biggest films hitting this year, check out our release guide.

Sherlock Season 4 concluded over a year ago, and that's just fine with star Martin Freeman, who can currently be seen on the big screen in Marvel's Black Panther. Freeman says he's happy the British mystery series is taking a break, as his time away from the drama relieves the pressure to live up to the expectations of Sherlock fans that are hungry for more episodes. In his words:

Martin Freeman added that he had no news to share on Sherlock's future at the moment, and noted the series has definitely been put on pause until further notice. Sherlock has gotten solid acclaim throughout its run, and with only three feature-length episodes produced each season, the risk is always present that the next batch of episodes could soil things for everyone. Freeman sounds like he's coming from a place of love and affection for Sherlock, and he wants to make sure that whatever comes next in the series is as good for him as it is for the fans. Because if not, then what's the point in doing more at all?

In a way, it may anger fans to hear Martin Freeman say he's glad to have Sherlock on break for as long as it takes, but it's completely understandable he'd feel that way. Neither he nor co-star Benedict Cumberbatch really need to hang a hat on Sherlock to maintain their respective careers at this point, so they can be a little picky on making sure the story is solid and that their time won't be wasted on whatever the next step is.

In fact, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch's busy careers factor into Season 5's current position beyond the horizon. Around the time Season 4 was released, co-creator Mark Gatiss mentioned that more episodes would be hard to pull off, with Benedict Cumberbatch's MCU role as Doctor Strange keeping his future erratic. With Freeman staying equally busy both in and out of the Marvel universe, it's not going to get any easier to coordinate these actors' schedules, and even attempting to do so might cause one or both to turn down a role they'd been interested in, which might be why Freeman told DenofGeek he's glad development towards Season 5 of Sherlock isn't chugging along.

Sherlock is currently on pause, and Season 5 is not a definite thing, but there are four other seasons there for fans' repeated perusals. For a list of shows new and old that are for sure coming to television in the near future, wipe away those Sherlock hiatus tears and head on over to our midseason premiere guide.

In the comics, Ulysses Klaue and Everett Ross have long been categorized as Black Panther characters -- but on the big screen they actually appeared long before the king of Wakanda's solo movie. Their roles are certainly expanded in writer/director Ryan Coogler's film, but they respectively made their Marvel Cinematic Debuts in The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. This has led to some diverse experiences for actors Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman -- and I recently had the chance to chat with them both about the contrast. Said Serkis,

Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman -- who will forever be connected thanks to their roles in The Hobbit -- were paired together for the Black Panther press day late last month, which offered me the opportunity to ask them simultaneously about their past Marvel Studios experiences. Discussing his first time playing Ulysses Klaue, Serkis offered that it did a nice job putting down the groundwork for the character, but followed up saying that Ryan Coogler really let him lean into the more chaotic side of the villain's mind.

As for Martin Freeman, his answer was a bit different because his time on the set of Captain America: Civil War apparently wasn't really as in-depth as Andy Serkis' was making The Avengers: Age of Ultron. And thinking back on the film, that makes sense. Freeman basically has two big scenes in the blockbuster, but serves more as a government figurehead than anything (not unlike Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson was in Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). Answering my question about comparing his past Marvel experience to Black Panther, the actor said,

You can watch Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman discuss their past and present in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by clicking play on the video below!

Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman are two members of an incredible ensemble that makes up Black Panther, including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Daniel Kaluuya, and Winston Duke. The movie is out in theaters everywhere this Friday, February 16th -- and we'll have plenty more from my interviews with the stars and filmmakers in the coming days here on CinemaBlend.

Ryan Coogler's Black Panther is a beautiful, action-filled comic book blockbuster, but not to be ignored is the surprising depth of its socio-political themes. The central nation of Wakanda is unlike any nation on Earth -- incredibly advanced thanks to its unique Vibranium mines -- but the fact that it's shut off from the rest of the world creates a fascinating conflict: do the immense resources manifest a responsibility for the country to help people beyond their borders, or does the horrible history of colonization and slavery in Africa justify their choice to stay hidden? It's the issue that ultimately drives the entire film -- so it may not surprise you to learn that the actors playing it out on screen have some strong opinions on the subject.

Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down with the cast of Black Panther during the film's Los Angeles press day, and my first question in every interview was exactly the same: if you were a Wakandan citizen knowing what you do about the rest of the world, how would you feel about the country's border policy? The responses I got were impressively diverse, and it was Lupita Nyong'o -- who plays Nakia in the Marvel film -- who pointed out the reason why: because I was hardly the first person to bring up the topic. Said the Oscar-winning actress,

One very important advocate for keeping the borders of Wakanda secure in Black Panther is T'Challa himself -- and as it turns out, Chadwick Boseman shares the perspective. While most of the actors I talked to weighed both sides of the challenging argument in their responses, the star of the film made a straight argument for why the African nation is better off in isolation. According to Boseman, history and the incredible dangers of the outside world both contribute to the argument for staying hidden, but also worthy of consideration is the geography of Wakanda:

The nation of Wakanda was founded on top of the aforementioned mine full of Vibranium, which found its way to Earth courtesy of a meteorite crashing down from space. Because of this, the country is naturally concealed within a crater -- which Chadwick Boseman seems to interpret as a kind of sign. If Wakanda were meant to interact with the rest of the world, it wouldn't be surrounded by natural walls.

Danai Gurira, however, disagrees. While her character in the film, Okoye, is extremely loyal to the classic traditions of Wakanda, she personally recognizes that Wakanda's relationship with the rest of the world doesn't entirely coalesce with where we are in modernity, and sees the border policy as archaic. Said Gurira,

You can watch all of the stars of Black Panther -- including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Winston Duke and Daniel Kaluuya discuss the controversial Wakanda border debate in the special video we've cut together below!

I loved talking with the Black Panther cast about their thoughts on Wakandan border policy -- but it was only one of many things we talked about during the interviews. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more stories, and check out the film in theaters on February 16th!

While the majority of Black Panther's main players hail from Wakanda, there will be a few outsiders participating in the story, specifically Martin Freeman's Everett K. Ross and Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klaue. Both characters have already been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but since they're both primarily tied to the Black Panther mythos in the comics, this movie will serve as their most important appearances yet. Although Ross and Klaue will find themselves on opposite sides in Black Panther, Freeman noted that Ross needs to maintain a working relationship of sorts with Klaue in order to gain intel on other notorious criminals. Freeman explained:

Speaking with CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg and a group of other reporters at a Black Panther set visit last year, Martin Freeman then added that although Everett Ross realizes he needs to "contain" Ulysses Klaue, it's also important that he obtains information from him and ensure that the arms dealer keeps coming back to him. This is in sharp contrast to what T'Challa wants, who's keen on taking Klaue off the proverbial board because of the threat he poses to Wakanda. So even though T'Challa and Ross are allies in Black Panther just like in the comics, they'll have opposing views on the best way to handle Klaue.

Everett Ross was last seen in Captain America: Civil War overseeing Helmut Zemo's transfer into prison for his many crimes, including killing T'Challa's father, King T'Chaka. When asked if the relationship between Ross and Ulysses Klaue is similar at all to the last scene between Ross and Zemo, Martin Freeman responded:

Originally the Deputy Task Force Commander of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Everett Ross is back to being a "regular" CIA agent in Black Panther, and he'll team up with T'Challa to protect Wakanda. As for Ulysses Klaue, he was last seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron getting his arm ripped off by Ultron. However, thanks to the billions of dollars the robot wired him minutes before, Klaue has a weaponized prosthesis in its place, and he'll use that and all his other resources to help Erik Killmonger bring down the Wakandan kingdom.

Black Panther will be released in theaters on February 16.

Even though Steve Rogers was Captain America: Civil War's main character, the 2016 blockbuster had plenty for almost every Earth-bound MCU superhero to do. Black Panther was one of the more notable participants, and after a strong debut, he's gearing up to lead his own movie next year. Most of the Black Panther characters who have been announced so far are brand new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one of the few familiar figures who will be seen is Martin Freeman's Everett Ross.

Black Panther recently began its principal photography at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and JustJared snapped a few photos showing Martin Freeman on the set. It's been rumored for a long time that Freeman might reprise Everett Ross for Black Panther, and sure enough, we'll be seeing him, though exactly how prominent his role will be remains to be revealed. Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o were also spotted, and the actors had reportedly been filming a United Nations meeting scene that day.

Martin Freeman's Everett Ross appeared in Captain America: Civil War as the Deputy Task Force commander of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, and he answered to U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross. His main purpose in the movie was overseeing the capture and interrogation of Bucky Barnes, who had been framed for the murder of T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda. However, after Helmut Zemo revealed to be the true perpetrator, Ross had no problem mocking Civil War's main antagonist once he was imprisoned. Anyone who's familiar with the Black Panther lore from the comics knows that Ross has history with T'Challa from his time at the State Department, eventually becoming one of the United States' main experts on Wakanda. Given that they met in Captain America: Civil War under stressful circumstances, Ross and T'Challa might not necessarily be friendly with one another at first in Black Panther, but hopefully Ross will take after his comic book counterpart and prove himself to be a valuable ally to the hero in the end.

Besides Martin Freeman and Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther has built an incredible cast over the last six months. Its members include Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killonger, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Forest Whitaker as Zuri, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Winston Duke as M'Baku/Man-Ape, Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi, Florence Kasumba as Ayo and Sterling K. Brown as N'Jobu. It's also worth mentioning that Avengers: Age of Ultron introduced Ulysses Klaue, who is one of Black Panther's most dangerous enemies in the comics (where he's known as Klaw), but there's been no official word yet on if Andy Serkis will reprise Klaue in Black Panther or any future Marvel movie.

Black Panther slashes its way into theaters on February 16, 2018. Let us know what you think of Everett Ross' inclusion in the comments below.

We finally have confirmation that Albus Dumbledore will be appearing in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2, and we're hopeful that means he'll have an even bigger presence as this budding series moves forward. But who will play him? That has yet to be determined, so what better time to speculate over who might snag the role of Dumbledore in the anticipated followup for the upcoming Harry Potter spinoff.

It's worth noting a couple of things before we get to the list. The first is that we're going to assume that whoever plays Dumbledore will be from somewhere in the United Kingdom. That's yet to be confirmed, but we're going to ride with that assumption. Dumbledore is British, so hopefully he'll be played by a British actor.

The next is that Dumbledore would've been in his mid-forties in the 1920s, so (factoring in Hollywood's typically flexible view on actor/character ages) we're assuming they'll cast someone within the range of late thirties to early fifties.

Finally, we don't really know what Dumbledore's personality was like in his younger years. Maybe he was really just a 40-something version of the Dumbledore we came to know and love in the Harry Potter books and movies, but I'm inclined to think life-experienced shaped him into the eventual Hogwarts headmaster. So we can't really pinpoint an actor by personality type.

All of the above in mind, here's a list of (mostly) British actors who could fit the part of Albus Dumbledore.

Damian Lewis

I'm dropping this name first, because he's among my favorite choices for the part. At 45, Damian Lewis is the perfect age to play 1920's Dumbledore. Though he's spent a lot of his career on the small screen (Homeland, Life, Billions), he's no stranger to feature work, and certainly has the talent to take on a role like this. It's not hard to picture Damien Lewis playing the kind and compassionate side of Albus Dumbledore, and then easily shifting gears to be the formidable magical force if and when the time calls for it.

Jude Law

My initial reaction to the thought of Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore is that he'd be distractingly handsome, but that may just be due to my recent viewing of The Holiday. That said, I imagine Dumbledore was an attractive man in his youth, so I don't think looks should disqualify Law entirely. At 43, Jude Law is close enough to the right age. And he does have a certain spark to him that might work nicely for a younger Albus Dumbledore.

Daniel Craig

Can James Bond also be Albus Dumbledore? It's entirely possible that Craig's Bond presence might be too big to be ignored (not to mention his potential commitments to the franchise, whatever they may be), but I don't want to rule him out entirely. If they're aiming for a more serious Dumbledore, Daniel Craig seems like a contender.

Martin Freeman

If playing James Bond doesn't rule Daniel Craig out for the possibility of tackling another iconic role, then the same should apply to Martin Freeman, who boasts two pretty massive literary character credits in Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) and Dr. John Watson (Sherlock). That said, I adore Martin Freeman, and there's something in his nature that makes me think he could be the perfect Albus Dumbledore.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor knows a little something about playing the younger version of an iconic white-bearded character, having played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels. Assuming his Scottish origins (and accent) don't disqualify him from the role, Ewan McGregor is another great option for this part. We want our Dumbledore to be a bit serious and a bit mischievous, and it's easy to see McGregor filling those shoes.

Simon Pegg

If younger Albus Dumbledore is more playful than he is serious, who better to play him than Simon Pegg? He's age-appropriate for the part, and has a bit of that humor and warmth we've seen in Albus Dumbledore. If this isn't the right role for him, then hopefully he'll pop up in some other part in Fantastic Beasts. Pegg in the Potterverse is long overdue.

Michael Fassbender

I have a few reservations about Fassbender as Dumbledore, including that he's not actually British (he's technically born in Germany and raised in Ireland). For another at 39, he's on the young side for this part. Too young to have been the teacher of a character played by Eddie Redmayne? Eh, that's debatable. Much like Daniel Craig, I see Michael Fassbender as a more serious Dumbledore, and though I'm not sure I can picture it, I don't think it should be ruled out.

Hugh Dancy

Hugh Dancy is another one who may be a bit too young for this role, but just as I don't think that alone should rule Michael Fassbender out, the same applies to Dancy. Though he's currently on Hulu's series The Path, the Hannibal star seems ripe for a major movie role.

Benedict Cumberbatch

He's on the young side for Dumbledore, and he just took on a major Marvel role. And still, I refuse to leave Benedict Cumberbatch off this list. He's serious when he needs to be serious. He's funny when he needs to be funny. And I bet he could throw down in a wizarding duel if it ever came down to it. Plus, well we know he's got magic in him, thanks to Doctor Strange.

Tom Hardy

If there's a truly oddball choice for the role of Dumbledore, I have to believe Tom Hardy is it. Partially because he's a bit young, but mainly because even I couldn't picture it at first. And then I could, and I kind of liked it. Hardy has proven perfectly able to disappear into a role, and a bit of makeup could certainly age him up if necessary. It'd be interesting to see what he'd bring to this part.

There are other well known and talented actors out there. Among our runner-ups were Christian Bale, Dominic West, Tom Hiddleston, Matt Smith, Hugh Laurie and James McAvoy, but due to age and other factors, they didn't quite make the cut on our list. That's not to say we won't see their names floating around when the casting rumors start flying. At this point, it seems like the floor is open and this is a big opportunity, and anything is possible. While we might assume that Fantastic Beasts will cast a big name to match the fame and talent of Johnny Depp, who's reported to play Gellert Grindelwald, it's just as possible that some lesser known talent will snag the role. We'll have to wait and see.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them arrives in theaters November 18. And J.K. Rowling's screenplay book for the film will be available the same day.

As a veteran of both the Hobbit films and the Sherlock TV series, Martin Freeman has become a very popular actor in recent years. This means that when he became attached to another big franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, people became very curious to see how he would fit in. It looks like we now have a definitive answer to that question. Unfortunately, that answer also confirms we won’t be seeing Freeman in a pair of tights anytime soon.

A story in Empire confirms one of the previous rumors, that Martin Freeman will play the role of Everett Ross. While not a major name within the universe of Marvel comics, he does play a significant part in the greater story of one of the new characters in Captain America: Civil War. He’s an expert on the nation of Wakanda, which makes him important to the greater story of Black Panther. Within Civil War itself, he’ll be a part of the Joint Counter Terrorist Center, the organization charged with keeping their eye on the super powered people that Captain America will find himself at odds with.

While Everett Ross may have a connection to Wakanda, the Empire story shows him in Germany, a location that Captain America knows well, and will be returning to in Captain America: Civil War. He’s also standing alongside Emily Van Camp’s Sharon Carter, Steve Rogers former neighbor, and also potential love interest. It looks like the superheroes aren’t the only ones finding themselves on unlikely sides in Civil War.

The fact that Everett Ross is connected to Black Panther is a strong indication that Captain America: Civil War won’t be the only appearance within the MCU for Martin Freeman. There’s a good chance that he’ll be back for a standalone Black Panther movie that’s currently set for a July 2018 release. Civil War will see Black Panther on the hunt for The Winter Soldier, who has been framed for committing a terrorist act. It’s possible that Ross will be the reason that Panther is the one brought in to play bounty hunter.

As Martin Freeman is best known for playing a hero on screen, it will be interesting to see him in a part where he’s on the opposite side from Captain America. Like most of the heroes that are aligned the government, we don’t really see him as a villain, but rather just somebody with a different set of ideals. Still, for the purposes of Captain America: Civil War it looks like he’ll be one of our "bad guys."

Are you ready to see Bilbo Baggins take on Captain America? We'll see it for ourselves when Captain America: Civil War opens on May 6.

As long as there are politics running our world, there will always be political thrillers to hold up a magnifying glass to those involved. The constant battle between governments and the press has become a well-worn tradition over the years in cinema, stretching as far back as All the President’s Men back in 1976. With new wars, conflicts, and conspiracies constantly rearing their heads, these issues become more and more relevant. The upcoming thriller Official Secrets seeks to take aim at one of these conspiracies by following the story of a British intelligence agent who is imprisoned when she leaks classified information to the press in 2003.

Official Secrets is still in the very early stages of development and as such not much information has come forward. However, THR has reported new updates regarding the film’s star-studded cast list. Headlining the affair is Harrison Ford himself as a CIA agent, but actors Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Dormer, Paul Bettany, and Martin Freeman will join him. Let’s take a closer look at these actors and their roles in the film.

Anthony Hopkins

Hannibal Lecter himself; Anthony Hopkins has been cast in Official Secrets as a retired U.K General who seemingly sides with Ford's character and supports the imprisonment of Katharine Gun for leaking state secrets. One of the most legendary actors on the cast, Hopkins has appeared in numerous iconic roles such as the aforementioned Hannibal, Zorro, and even Alfred Hitchcock. Despite his advanced age, the Academy Award winning actor has remained busy in recent years, with his most widely recognized role being Thor’s father Odin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer has kept herself busy over the last few years. Aside from her roles on The Tudors and Game of Thrones, she has also appeared in the Hunger Games franchise as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: The First Avenger. This past month saw her in one of her first leading roles as twin sisters Sara and Jess in the horror film The Forest. Dormer has been cast in Official Secrets as central character Katharine Gun, a British intelligence officer arrested for leaking classified documents to the press.

Paul Bettany

A character actor with an incredibly long resume, Paul Bettany has appeared in numerous films across numerous genres – ranging from A Beautiful Mind to A Knight’s Tale, to Legion. His most recent mainstream work is as AI construct Jarvis and superhero The Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a role which he will continue into this summer’s Captain America: Civil War. In Official Secrets, Bettany plays Martin Bright, a British reporter for the London Observer to whom Katharine Gun leaks classified intelligence.

Martin Freeman

Rounding out the film’s cast is Martin Freeman. A well-known British actor, Freeman has appeared in numerous beloved franchises such as Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films, as well as BBC’s Sherlock alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. In addition to those series, he will soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the events of Captain America: Civil War – although the nature of his role in that film has yet to be revealed. In Official Secrets, Freeman will play a colleague of Bettany’s character as the foreign affairs editor for the London Observer.

We will bring you more information associated with the release of Official Secrets as it becomes available to us. Reports indicate that the film will begin production sometime in May.

If there's anything Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige love more than a secret, it's teasing that secret in such a manner that makes your head spin. Not to be outdone by their previous efforts to keep us in the dark regarding Captain America: Civil War, some new information was dealt involving Martin Freeman's mysterious character. However, it's just enough information to get us thinking, but not enough to nail it down completely.

During the information bonanza that is Entertainment Weekly's latest issue, Feige spoke of Freeman's role in a very carefully worded statement. Considering all of the other information the publication had gotten out of him, the following clues were just a bit sparse:

So here's what we know about Martin Freeman's leap into the MCU so far: he's a "government attache" who will make a small appearance in Captain America: Civil War, and eventually become a bigger part of the Marvel universe at large. As we previously reported, the hottest prospect speculated so far is the role of Everett Ross – an American agent who serves as the ambassador to Wakanda. This would not only pave the way for him to also appear with former Lord Of The Rings co-star Andy Serkis in the upcoming Black Panther film, but it also helps us see where Freeman's role might be going from here.

As Kevin Feige has mentioned the possibility of numerous films, it can be presumed that Ross will be a fixture in the continuing adventures of Black Panther's super-powered Wakandian, with opportunities for supporting appearances in other franchises. So if Joe and Anthony Russo were so inclined, they could borrow Freeman for their two part epic, Avengers: Infinity War, which might also wind up being a mini-reunion for the actor, as Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange may be present as well.

While we're not being promised a lot of Martin Freeman action in Captain America: Civil War, it looks like there's room for more of his antics in future Marvel films. If that's not job security, then frankly we don't know what is. What we do know though is that Freeman will be a government figure, which means that he'll more than likely be fighting against Cap and friends when they take the fight to the streets in Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016. If he's smart, he'll start re-enforcing his office with Vibranium walls, for obvious safety purposes.

The BBC’s Sherlock has become one of the hottest shows on TV in any country. It has turned its two stars into high-demand actors who make major blockbuster films when they aren’t playing Holmes and Watson. It’s difficult to imagine anybody else in those roles, but Martin Freeman was not locked into the part at first. His initial audition went to hell because he was in a bad mood.

Freeman spoke at the Edinburgh International Television Festival today and The Hollywood Reporter has the news that he was almost passed over by producers because they didn’t think he really wanted the role. He said:

Ben is, of course, what Benedict Cumberbatch’s friends call him. Apparently he doesn’t make them all call him Benedict, which he totally should do. It just goes to show how little things can throw off an audition, even if it’s a part you really want. While Freeman was a relative unknown in the U.S. prior to Sherlock (because nobody remembers the excellent Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie, which should be a criminal offense), he would have walked in to the audition at the BBC with a much higher profile after his role in the original British version of The Office. Perhaps his mood gave the impression he didn’t think the show was good enough. Luckily the issue was resolved and he got the chance to set things right.

To be fair to Martin Freeman, he had a perfectly good reason for being cross that day. As co-creator Mark Gatiss has previously said, apparently Freeman had his wallet stolen earlier in the day, and that was the reason he didn't bring his A game to the audition.

There is another interesting point to be considered here, though. While Freeman talks about auditioning again, he speaks about reading with Cumberbatch as if it only happened on the second go round. If that’s the case then it may be that the inherent chemistry that the two actors share, a large part of why the show is a hit, was the reason the second opportunity went so much better. When the people you’re reading with aren’t as good, it has an effect on you. Just ask Samuel L. Jackson.

Whatever the ultimate reason for Freeman’s success, we can’t imagine anybody else playing the part of a modern John H. Watson. We’re also looking forward to seeing him play the traditional Victorian Watson when Sherlock returns for a one-off special sometime this winter. Sherlock will return for Season 4 sometime in 2016, which is not nearly soon enough.

Thanks to either previous performances or official announcements, we pretty much know the roles of every known actor in Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America: Civil War... but Martin Freeman continues to be the exception to the rule. The Hobbit star's part wasn't revealed when he was first cast, and nothing official has been said since. Sadly, we don't have a definitive answer quite yet, but now Freeman has at the very least started to describe what he's doing in the blockbuster - usuing the adjective "ambiguous" to describe his character.

The Italian website BadTaste.it has posted a video interview with Freeman, and in the clip the actor describes the role he is playing in Captain America: Civil War, and while he never actually identifies the part, what he says does give us a good number of clues. According to the actor, the movie has him playing an employee of the American government who is given the responsibility of coordinating with the various superheroes of the world and working with "certain agencies that help to tame the superheroes' power." He continued,

Soon after Martin Freeman landed his Captain America: Civil War role, a mix of rumor and speculation immediately hit the web, with some suggesting he could be playing the Wakanda-linked Everett K. Ross or Edward Chase, the Prime Minister of England. Going by Freeman's description, however, it sounds much more likely that he is instead playing Henry Peter Gyrich, a character first introduced to Marvel Comics in 1977 as a special government liaison to the Avengers. Freeman is a pretty perfect match for that character, and it would be pretty easy to make him look just like his comic book counterpart:

As it has been for the last couple of months, Captain America: Civil War is still in production down in Atlanta, and in addition to Martin Freeman boasts a cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, and William Hurt. You can look for the film in theaters on May 6, 2016.

Captain America: Civil War has a mystery on its hands. While most of the characters appearing in the 2016 blockbuster are well known to the moviegoing audience, it hasn’t been officially revealed who Sherlock star Martin Freeman is playing. It was previously reported that Freeman might be playing U.S. government agent Everett Ross, but a new report is saying that Freeman is actually playing a head of state with possible ties to someone from Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The rumor Latino-Review has heard is that Freeman will be playing Edward Chase, the Prime Minister of England. The "international incident" that kicks off the conflict in Civil War will reportedly involve British soldiers, leaving Chase to argue with the international governing body for a better world plan to keep the Avengers in check. If this is true, this will make him the second political figure to appear in the film, the first being Wakanda’s king T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther.

Here’s where things get interesting: Chase may have already gotten an indirect name drop in Avengers: Age of Ultron, according to the report. When we first meet Tony Stark’s former acquaintance Ulysses Klaue, played by Andy Serkis, he’s arguing on the phone with an unidentified individual over a weapons deal. After threatening to launch missiles at this mysterious buyer, he then says, "Now, Minister, where were we?" The article speculates that Martin Freeman’s Chase is the Minister on the other end of the line, and might have been trying to buy vibranium from Klaue for the English to use to deal with superpower people across the globe. Sketchy stuff.

It’s expected that there’s going to be more of a political presence in Captain America: Civil War given that it involves passing legislation that will regulate people with special abilities. Taking into account these politics and the film’s global feel, Freeman playing England’s Prime Minister certainly would be logical. Even with all the supporters this Superhuman Registration Act (or whatever it’s going to be called) will have, someone will need to serve as its primary proponent, and that could easily be Freeman’s Chase (though General Thunderbolt Ross would fill that role nicely as well).

Political figures like Iron Man 3’s President Ellis and Senator/HYDRA agent Stern have appeared in the MCU before, but Chase could not only serve as new type of foe for the Avengers (one they can’t just punch to defeat), but someone who could maintain a presence in future films. So we have Baron Zemo, Crossbones and now potentially a corrupt politician who will be antagonizing Captain America. Man, talk about an abundance of villainy for our patriotic hero.

Captain America: Civil War will be released in theaters on May 6, 2016.

Yesterday, Marvel announced that Sherlock star Martin Freeman has joined Captain America: Civil War. Unfortunately for fans, they were unwilling to disclose who he will play, leading to much speculation regarding this mystery player’s identity (our primary guess was Norman Osborn). However, only a day later, this mystery may already have been solved, and if this rumor is legitimate, Freeman won’t be a hero or a villain, but rather a government employee.

According to Latino-Review, Freeman will play an interrogator in Captain America: Civil War, and he will reprise this role in Black Panther. If all of this is true, this would make Freeman the second actor known to be appearing in Black Panther aside from Chadwick Boseman as the titular character. Although the name of Freeman’s character isn’t known, it’s speculated he might be Everett Ross, a U.S. government agent assigned to Wakanda. While the name might not sound familiar to most, Ross is actually a character from the comics who works for the U.S. ambassador to Wakanda and is one of the United States’ leading experts on the African country, not to mention friends with its king, T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther.

Captain America: Civil War will see heroes from around the MCU battle each other over the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act. Needless to say this will involve a big government presence, possibly more than in any other Marvel film thus far, so Freeman playing an interrogator certainly makes sense. If various powered people are captured (in the U.S. at least) for not registering with the government, Freeman would be the one who interrogates them and maybe even determines how much of a threat they are. Perhaps this character could succeed Phil Coulson (who is currently starring in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as the everyman agent who deals with extraordinary individuals, but portrayed in a slightly more antagonistic light.

As for the possible Black Panther connection, since the superhero is also making his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, having Freeman be connected to him would serve as a good way to set up 2018’s Black Panther. It’s been reported that T’Challa will have his own agenda separate from the two factions of heroes in the film, so whatever the African king has planned, it may result in Freeman’s Ross (or whoever the character is) following him to the solo film, where their relationship will be further fleshed out.

You can see Freeman alongside the rest of Captain America: Civil War’s gigantic cast when the film hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

There’s one sure-fire way to improve your movie or television show: Cast Martin Freeman. So by this logic, Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War just got better, because Marvel just revealed that Freeman has been added in a mysterious role.

In a press release, Marvel notes that Martin Freeman, of Sherlock and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, has joined the cast of the third Captain America movie, which has begun filming in Atlanta. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige talks about Freeman’s "range" in the announcement, and notes that Marvel couldn’t be more "honored or excited" to have the actor in the movie.

But you know what Feige doesn’t tell us? Who Martin Freeman will PLAY in Captain America: Civil War!

My best guess is that Martin Freeman will assume a supporting – possibly political – role, the kind occupied by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones or Robert Redford in the previous Captain America movies. Freeman’s not playing a superhero, or a villain. His casting wouldn’t be posted to Marvel.com casually if that were the case. One colleague already has suggested that Freeman could be cast as Henry Peter Gyrich, a government liaison who interacts with The Avengers, and eventually became a member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities… something we assume will have to be very popular in the Civil War storyline.

It’s very possible Martin Freeman is playing a small role, something like Garry Shandling’s character in Iron Man 2 and, later, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But let’s expand out minds a little and have some fun. What if Marvel cast Martin Freeman as Norman Osborn, and is putting him in place for possible use in the untitled Spider-Man movie for 2017?

Norman Osborn played an unusual role in the Civil War storyline, leading up the government-sanctioned Thunderbolts, a team of villains hired to round up heroes who refused to register. (In a way, the act like the Suicide Squad… wouldn’t that be funny if the Thunderbolts were introduced the same year that DC tries to beef up its universe.) It would take a lot of set up on Marvel’s part – probably too much set up – to adhere to Norman’s traditional Civil War arc. But since we expect to see Spider-Man in Civil War, and Marvel now knows it needs to seed Spidey material ahead of the 2017 movie, it’s not that far-fetched to guess that Freeman’s role might have more implication than just a Senator of Congressman who sides with either Tony Stark or Steve Rogers.

Martin Freeman hosted Saturday Night Live last night and revisited two of his most beloved roles, Tim Canterbury in BBC’s The Office, and Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. Watch the hilarious sketch as Bilbo Baggins takes on his most terrifying journey yet, a day at The Office.

The sketch entitled, "The Office: Middle Earth" starts out with a disappointed Bilbo Baggins explaining what he’s been up to for the past few years, including saving Middle Earth, becoming a hero, cashing in some treasure, and now, after all he’s accomplished, he’s stuck working at a paper company and drives a Jetta. The look on Freeman’s face after that line says it all. He just bites his lip, looks side to side in that classic Tim Canterbury annoyed yet playful manner that we all came to love.

The skit is the perfect mash-up between the two worlds. There’s the ridiculous general manager position, taken over by Gandalf, but within the style of Ricky Gervais’ goofy and inappropriate character David Brent. There are elves, dwarves, orcs, and by the end of it even some giant spiders to battle in the parking lot. But, arguably best of all, is that Gollum plays the Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) role. It’s fantastic.

The skit starts with a call back to the first episode of The Office when Gareth finds his stapler inside Jell-O. This time though, it’s Gollum losing something so precious to him, so we find the ring in the same type of Jell-O mold that the stapler was found in the original show. Just brilliant. Later in the skit, holiday festivities commence, and we have the pleasure of witnessing Gandalf do the uncomfortably awesome David Brent dance. The room goes silent. Then the camera cuts to Freeman stating, "Uh, well you don’t choose the people you work with… or go on a quest with."

This was Freeman’s first time hosting SNL and he often joked throughout the show of being relatively unknown in the United States. But he has quite the résumé beyond The Hobbit and The Office. He was in the holiday classic, Love Actually plays Dr. John Watson in BBC’s Sherlock, is in Fargo and more. You can see Freeman one last time as Bilbo Baggins in the final film of the trilogy, The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies, in theaters now.

Hey, remember a couple of months ago when Sherlock actor Martin Freeman spilled the beans on a potential one-off episode of the hit series in the works? Well, we have great news and not-so-great news for fans who might be hoping that BBC One will bring back the show, in whatever capacity, soon. Over the weekend, Freeman was again discussing the possibility of a new episode, and he revealed that Sherlock will be back for a Christmas special… just not until 2015.

The timestamp on that new episode certainly puts a little “bah humbug” on the news, although it’s still undisputedly great to hear that a new episode of Sherlock is likely to eventually head to BBC One (and PBS in the United States). Here’s what Freeman had to tell The Telegraph about the likelihood of a one-off episode, as well as the fact that a full three episode series is currently not being planned.

Sherlock is always a series that pops in and out of the schedule as it pleases. Most of this is due to lead actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s schedules; both actors are very in demand and finding time to shoot Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ series isn’t the easiest task. Freeman, for instance, is currently involved with Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit series of films. Additionally, he recently starred in FX’s new series Fargo. Cumberbatch also has his hands in many pots. He’s aso a part of The Hobbit movies, and has The Penguins of Madagascar and The Imitation Game set to appear in theaters this year. Peter Jackson may be able to get the two men in the same room, but he’s got a much bigger budget and more incentives than Sherlock does.

According to the Telegraph, the show plans to film sometime early in 2015, later airing around the holidays. Hopefully, with a little luck, the show will still be using the same basic idea that Freeman was super jazzed about back in April. Currently, we have no details on what the episode might contain, but if Freeman is excited about the potential premise, I am excited about the potential premise. Hopefully, the one-off episode will be confirmed soon, but even if it's not, fans will show up to watch it, whenever it airs. The majority of television programs would run out of momentum with such lengthy breaks, but because of the quality, the hype and the personalities involved, all involved could wait five years and still attract a lot of eyeballs. Here's to hoping they don't, though.

There are some shows that inspire so much fanaticism from audiences that any news is good news. Sherlock is one of those programs, and on Friday we learned that there is some brand new news related to the series, falling in both the “any news” and “good news" categories. Star Martin Freeman, who plays Watson in the series, recently appeared on Channel 4’s Chatty Man series, noting that a one-off episode of Sherlock may be in the works.

Obviously, since Sherlock just ended its epic third season a few months ago, fans across the globe were expecting it to be a while before the BBC got new episodes in gear. According to Cultbox, that time may come sooner than we might have expected. In the interview, Freeman admitted that Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss has an idea for an episode that is so perfect the show might do a one-off episode. Here’s what he had to say.

Sherlock has been a great program for the BBC and PBS over the past several years, but it’s also been a frustrating show for fans. The series only produces three episodes for each season, and while those episodes are ninety minutes-long, three episodes is just not enough to really meet the demand. Additionally, each three-episode order only hits the schedule once every couple of years or so. The show doesn’t come like clockwork and new episodes are pretty elusive. Which is why news of a potential one-off episode is still good news, even if more than one episode would be better.

In the interview, Freeman also noted that he initially was under the impression that a new series of Sherlock would tape in the fall, which would make this article even more exciting. Regardless, those plans eventually fell to the wayside due to scheduling issues, leaving us to hold on to the hope that this one-off episode might actually happen. We literally have no hints about what this episode might entail, but Freeman did call the idea “mouthwatering.” Perhaps there is a watermelon involved.

Information on this one-off episode is scarce and it could be a while before any details are fleshed out. In the meantime, you can catch Martin Freeman on FX’s excellent new series Fargo and the show's other big star, Benedict Cumberbatch, has The Imitation Game in the works. Additionally, feel free to tide yourself over with the excellent Season 3 disguise sequence, below.

OK, folks: now that is how you finale an episode of television. Tonight’s third season ender for Sherlock was everything you love about the series and proved there’s no slump anywhere in this show’s future. A nonstop, twisty-turny, action-packed, and clever as hell little jaunt, "His Last Vow" took us out the insular world of Watson and Holmes and into the reality of the situation at hand. And it exposed — at long last! — not only our big baddie, but a new character we're dying to see more of (Bill Wiggins), a side of Mary Morstan we'd previously not known, and a heck of a lot of slapping. Being trapped in the mind palaces of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss never felt so good.

After last week’s gangbuster wedding episode, the pressure was certainly on for excellence leading into the season finale. However, Moffat and Gatiss did far from disappoint. The myriad moving parts and bits that gave you momentary pause throughout the season were brought together with wicked aplomb, proving that the series is at its best when it balances fan-serving hilarity with character-developing advancements. In the world of Sherlock Holmes, you can have your cake and eat it, too. So what were this episode's most shocking moments? Aside from finding Sherlock in a drug den, Molly’s multiple slaps (all very well-deserved), our hero's blatant disregard for faux-girlfriend Janine’s feelings in the name of manipulation, and the hilariously observant, drug-addled chemist Bill Wiggins? Well, perhaps the biggest bombshells of them all. Namely…

Charles Augustus Magnussen has a Mind Palace

Our foil for Rupert Murdoch (because I mean, really), a baddie that also serves as a stand-in for Charles Augustus Milverton, apparently has a bit of a mind palace himself! (Not just for Sherlock, it seems.) So that’s why we had so many deep dives into Holmes’ inner mental sanctum. The king of the blackmailers has no need for a library full of all the secrets he knows — he needs only a tiny white room where he imagines descending a bunch of fancy staircases. (So that’s why there were so many amazing staircases this episode.) It was a twist that not even Sherlock saw coming, leaving him wide open to be framed for selling government secrets. Which is, well, sort of a terrible position to be in — no wonder Sherlock did the unthinkable and shoot Magnussen dead in front of Mycroft and the cops.

Mary Morstan is an Assassin

We knew from the outset that something was amiss with Mary Morstan, but we were under the impression she was very, very bad. Turns out she might still be a bit of a no-good, but it’s a bit more complicated than all that. Mary’s previous career as a secret agent turned freelance assassin was not something we’d expected when she showed up at Magnussen’s office to shoot the man that Sherlock was also mid-taking down, but it was a delight. And while the reveal that your wife nearly killed your best friend/has a secret double life, would likely cause anyone to scurry, Sherlock makes a case for the clever girl. And considering just how clever, quick, and sort of perfect she as an addition to the Holmes and Watson world, we’re more than glad to have more of Mrs. Watson — once we find out what in the heck in her past is so dangerous.

Moriarty LIVES?!

Perhaps the most mind-boggling twist of all? MORIARTY IS STILL ALIVE, APPARENTLY. What in the actual fuck, you guys: how could that even be possible? We'd be lying if we didn’t say we were over-the-moon excited to see Andrew Scott back on the series — he is a truly wonderful and enigmatic actor — but the twist feels hard to explain away. Of course that’s exactly what the series will have to do the next time we see it, but it’s a resounding “yes!” to the question Moriarty posed London-wide: miss me?

We've come a long way from the season premiere, and in a very, very good way. Sherlock Holmes in the hands of Moffat and Gatiss is more than just a caricature, he’s a human that develops, evolves, and grows in new and interesting ways. The Sherlock of Sherlock has a dynamicism previously unseen in other big and small screen iterations. Fingers crossed we only have to wait until Christmas to find out all the answers.

Steve Thompson is no slouch, and may currently be my favorite writer on Sherlock thus far. The third season’s second episode, “The Sign of Three,” signified Thompson’s return following his season two-finale episode, “The Reichenbach Fall,” and was an absolute stunner. (A relief to say the least, after last week's semi-underwhelming and super-Moffat-y premiere). Benedict Cumberbatch's interpretation of the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective soars when there’s incredibly intricate work at play. And there was no shortage of such thanks to the wedding of John and Mary, wherein we saw the most human — and mature! — side of Sherlock Holmes we'd yet to encounter. In fact, this may go down as my favorite episode of the series thus far.

Tonight Sherlock was faced with the reality of interpersonal relationships and the evolution that must carry us through to the subsequent chapters of our lives. John Watson has been the touchstone to humanity that’s forced Sherlock to consider things like other people's emotions and feelings — and the reality that the two affect the perceived “logical” outcome. And now, Sherlock must deal with the fact that Watson’s own humanity and emotional capacity have had a profound affect on him and his life. And he does this in the most pitch-perfectly Sherlockian way: by solving a murder after one very long, overstuffed, and absolutely mad Best Man speech.

Well really he solved two attempted murders and three cases all at once — as if the man didn’t already have an impressive track record. But in order to save the last (John's other best guy friend, the oft-reclusive and subsequent death-threat magnet, Major Sholto), Sherlock was forced to consider not only himself but John's standing in the matter. It was a hard pill for Sherlock to swallow, but the result was dynamic and the best of the detective that we've ever seen — on this series or otherwise.

All those seemingly random anecdotes from Sherlock's speech turned out to be not-so-random at all, but rather pieces to the night’s puzzle. Both The Bloody Guardsman and The Mayfly Man — one in the same: the stand-in wedding photographer, as it turned out — were merely trial runs to collect data and run a bit of trial-and-error before making it count with the attempt on Sholto’s life. The realization rattled all three of the players involved, but Mary, John, and Sherlock managed to each play their part to ensure that the mystery was solved and the murder averted. These three already have us excited for next season, should they all return. And if Mary's really all that she says she is.

Oh that Mary — she’s pretty fantastic, isn’t she? The way she keeps these two together is truly special, and the way she can handle both men with an intelligence and charm all her own makes it easy to see why John would fall for her. But it does bring a bit of foreboding, considering we hardly know anything about her when all is said and done. The deepest we've dug into her past has revealed her to be an orphan, which is equal parts intriguing and worrisome. How and why was she the one that received the text messages in last week’s episode regarding John’s whereabouts? Could she be hiding something herself? Is the invisible hand of the season's big baddie, Lars Mikkelsen's Charles Augustus Magnussen, guiding Mary into John’s life for some terrible plot twist in next week's upcoming season finale? We’re on pins and needles to find out.

Especially now that we've found out Mary is pregnant, which was a wonderful flip on the head of the episode’s title, at first encapsulating the dynamic between John, Mary, and Sherlock, and then the wee bairn-to-be. With a baby comes the real end of an era for John and Sherlock, though. And the pain on his face at the realization that he’d be John’s bratty child no more was as sad a realization for him as well as the audience. But Sherlock, you see, has done some growing up this season, constantly propelled forward by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat in brave and exciting ways that still hold fast to the authenticity of a character as well-known and loved as Sherlock Holmes. With next week’s “His Last Vow,” we’re anticipating only more of the brilliant same to come.

Some afterthoughts

- Hey Mycroft: who is Red Beard? And why are you so jealous that Sherlock has friends and is just generally different than you?

- Wait, maybe I just answered my own question there. Since we’ve had the feeling that Mycroft is up to no good this season, perhaps therein lies the issue: is Mycroft searching for a Holmes/Watson dynamic of his very own? (Oh, and just imagine if it’s Magnussen.)

- Molly sure is getting feisty this season, isn’t she? “We’re having quite a lot of sex” was probably the last thing Sherlock expected her to say regarding her stand-in boyfriend.

- Will anyone ever take care to remember poor Greg Lestrade’s name, ever? And when they do, will anyone actually care?

Lord, next week cannot come soon enough! - Drunk Watson and Drunk Holmes FOREVER. That was some seriously spectacular drunk acting, boys. Hip hip.

It’s been a long two years waiting for Sherlock to return, but the season three opener, “The Empty Hearse” was not, it seems, a return to form. Eschewing the traditional format of the series to deal with the ramifications of last season’s fake-out death sequence, the Benedict Cumberbatch-fronted series sat squarely in the emotional aftermath of Holmes’ trickery and deception in the name of tying up loose ends (literally and otherwise). And while it was an overall highly entertaining jaunt, the episode did leave us feeling slightly underserved given its overindulgence in the “how did he do it?” smoke and mirrors game.

The build-up to the explanation of Sherlock’s survival of that brutal fall from so long ago now has been the touch point of all publicity for the series up to this point. It has been speculated on to death: from Comic-Con to Tumblr to reputable entertainment outlets and beyond. It’s all anyone could and would talk about — without actually saying anything. Unfortunately that anticipation and build-up ultimately became the burden that broke the episode’s back. Had Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss pulled it back a bit more — eschewing all-out fanboy indulgence for a bit more of the tension-building nuance, the whole thing would’ve been a positively bombastic return.

Throughout the episode, we were served several plausible (and one hat-tipping fan fiction Moriarty/Sherlock kiss realized — oh, the Tumblr GIFrenzy; we can only imagine it) and entertaining scenarios that would’ve explained how and why Sherlock was able to fake his own death in the name of dismantling Moriarty’s crime organization over the course of his two-year disappearance. And, perhaps smartly, the end revealed that none of the scenarios were actually the truth because the truth never lives up to people’s wants and expectation.

But all of that playing around caused the main mystery — the impending terrorist attack — to be relegated an afterthought, and without more attention paid to that, it forced the episode to feel a bit bereft of action and excitement — and made the Sherlock/Watson reunion that much more exciting. (Minus the bomb bit, which was particularly clever and hilarious.) Looks like we have to wait awhile longer to meet this year's creepy, evil bad guy. Stick that in your mind palace for another day.

But that wasn’t to say it was all-bad. Quite the opposite — most of the episode was incredibly good. I mean, really, let’s be frank: even the worst Sherlock episode is going to far exceed the quality of most other things on television. Our expectations have just been made incredibly high given the perfection of seasons past. A blessing and a curse, Moffat and Gatiss have on their hands. So let’s look at all the things that the episode did right.

The Emotional Pay-Off: Martin Freeman’s Dr. Watson wasn’t so quick or keen to accept the reality of Sherlock’s existence, and it was incredibly satisfying to watch. From the hilarious restaurant gag wherein he did not recognize Sherlock for far to long, to Watson’s emotional admission when facing his perceived certain death, the tête-à-tête between them as they reestablished their friendship was equal parts funny, emotional, and — best of all — engaging. It was their old gag born anew. It felt honest, and Freeman’s vulnerability was engaging and carried just enough anger throughout. Everything was heightened, which made every emotion, action, and reaction feel that much more satisfying.

The Funnies: Especially wonderful was the comedy that punctuated an episode largely dedicated to dealing with poor Watson’s emotional turmoil. From the Empty Hearse fan group (featuring Sharon Rooney of the oh-so-incredibly E4 series, My Mad Fat Diary, which needs to jump stateside ASAP), to Sherlock’s turn as a waiter, to the presentation of the fantasy fall-explanations, the comedy of the series was particularly on-point. In a show that could very easily take itself entirely too seriously, the comedic breaks were some of our favorite bits.

The Progression: It seems as though the isolation has done Sherlock a bit of good, and — shockingly enough — brought about a bit of a change in the detective. Even maniacal geniuses have emotional growth spurts! Or, well, in this case: character development, as it seems being away from John and Molly made him realize just how much he cares and, yes, even loves the two, in his own Sherlockian way.

The Questions: Like any good episode of television, "The Empty Hearse" added just as many questions as the ones it answered, leaving us wondering heaps heading into episode two. Is Mycroft able to be trusted? Who staged the Guy Fawkes attack? What's Mary Morstan's deal? Can she be trusted? And when will poor Molly realize her new boyfriend is a merely a poor man's version of Sherlock? The set-up for the next two episodes was delicious, to say the least.

Ultimately the series ended with a nod to what we were all waiting for: that it’s “time to be Sherlock Holmes.” Luckily, the actors and characters at the center have never been better. Here’s hoping the next two episodes (and that rumored Christmas Special) do just that. For anyone who hasn't experienced the mini episode "Many Happy Returns," check it out below.

The first official image from BBC crime drama Sherlock is here at last and — stop your panting and hyperventilating, fan girls — it paints a reservedly emotional picture of what to expect from the upcoming third season. And hoo boy are we excited for what’s to come.

While stark in its composition, calling to mind the stark yet evocative works of artist Dennis Hopper (anyone a Nighthawks fan?), particularly his 1927 painting Automat in addition to the aforementioned ‘hawks. The image sets up the dynamic between Benedict Cumberbatch’s Holmes and Martin Freeman’s emotional John Watson, highlighting the invisible wall between them. See, you guys? They’re both living in a glass case of emotion (only one side has tea)! Using glass as a metaphorical and literal boundary — I see what you’re doing there, creator and executive producer Steven Moffat!

It’s a stark but brilliant image: Watson, none the wiser that Holmes is just out of sight but in plain view, watching his friend’s dejected emotional tailspin. After losing his best weirdo bud — or so Watson thinks — it’s no wonder he looks so crestfallen. And considering both Sherlock and the viewer aware that Watson’s about to have his preconceived notions shredded, there’s a lot of charged energy behind both actors. Clearly, it’s going to be an electric meeting between both parties. And by electric we mean “probably filled with swear words and angry posturing.” Decorum be damned!

For those who somehow managed to forget the details (is that even possible?) surrounding the season two finale “The Reichenbach Fall,” here’s a quick refresher: Sherlock Holmes somehow managed to fake his own death as a way to end the ongoing saga between himself and Moriarty (the delightful Andrew Scott), who the audience last saw shooting himself in the head. Ow. Watson saw him dead and now everybody’s feelin’ the womps. Dark times ahoy!

But that doesn’t mean there’s going to be any lack of villainy for the oncoming storm of Sherlockiness: indeed, NBC’s version of Hannibal Lector (Mads Mikkelsen) seems to have a literal and equally-as-scary, villain-y brother Lars Mikkelsen, who will play a (so it seems) take on classic Holmes villain Charles Augustus Milverton. Though the thoroughly modern Milverton goes by the last name Magnussen these days, it seems to point to a game of blackmail in Holmes and Watson’s future.

Also continuing is the series’ format: as the previous two seasons were made up of three, 90-minute episodes a piece, season three will follow suit, with episodes titled “The Empty Hearse,” “The Sign of Three,” and “His Last Vow,” according to producer and writer Mark Gatiss. The synopsis for most of these episodes is largely unknown, thanks in part to producer Sue Vertue who pleaded with the series’ rabid fan base (that’s putting it lightly) to not spoil the mystery of it all with tweets and other social media doings regarding location details.

Sherlock returns to U.S. airwaves via PBS on January 19th at 10PM (following Downton Abbey, so tell all your anglophile friends). And while they’ve yet to announce a start date in its home country, the BBC has ensured that the season would air ahead of its American counterpart.

These days, when he isn't appearing in Edgar Wright's latest film, Martin Freeman is portraying some pretty classic literary characters, between Dr. John Watson for Sherlock on the small screen, and Bilbo Baggins for The Hobbit on the big screen. Freeman may have found his next great role, and while it's for an adaptation, it's not a literary character. Word is that the Office star has signed on to star in FX's Fargo reboot, playing the role inspired by William H. Macy's character in the 1996 film.

Based on THR's report, it sounds like like guy may have some characteristics of Macy's character, but the role and the story are different.. If your memory of the film is rusty, Macy played Jerry Lundegaard, a car salesman who pays a couple of guys to kidnap his wife in an attempt to scam money out of his disapproving father-in-law. According to THR, Freeman's character is named Lester, and he's described as "an insurance salesman who has seen better days. Henpecked by his wife, his life is changed forever when a mysterious stranger comes to town."

So there's no car salesman, his name is Lester and he's henpecked by his wife. Not exactly how I'd described Jerry Lundegaard, nor does the "mysterious stranger comes to town" part really apply. But they do live in Minnesota, right? Is that part staying the same? It is. The 10-episode limited series is described as "an all-new 'true crime' story with a new case and characters, all seeped in the humor, murder and 'Minnesota nice' of the original."

So it sounds less of an adaptation of Joel and Ethan Coen's film as it is inspired by it, with the same snowy backdrop. And if we're looking at this optimistically, a new case and set of characters means a new story, so we won't be watching this one expecting it to play out a certain way. And maybe things will work out a bit better for Lester than they did for Jerry, who sort of got what he had coming to him in the movie. My Generation's Noah Hawley is set to write the script and executive produce the project.

In addition to Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton is set to star as well, playing "the rootless, manipulative man who meets the small-town insurance salesman and sets him on a path of destruction."

As intriguing as Thornton's character is, what with the mystery surrounding him and all, I'm particularly excited to see how Freeman tackles Lester. Jerry Lundegaard was such a great role for Macy, and I think the same could be said about Lester for Freeman, especially given the potential for dark twists with the character and the story. I also love that this is being described as a "limited series," as that means we should expect the plot to wrap up within the span of the ten episodes, after which the series will end or else, maybe there's a chance it'll be renewed for another story, much in the way FX's American Horror Story does. There's definite potential there.

Here's one of my favorite Jerry Lundegaard moments:

If the world were coming to an end, how would you spend your last day? If your first thought was "pub crawl," then you're of the same mind as Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. The writing team behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are completing their Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy with the Armageddon-set comedy The World's End, which reunites Pegg with his frequent and funny co-star Nick Frost.

Pegg stars as Gary King, a forty-year-old adolescent who has lost touch with his boyhood pals but hopes to reconnect via the pub crawl to end all pub crawls. He convinces his old mates to visit their shared hometown for a day of epic boozing. But as they trek from one bar to the next they realize their friendship is the only thing at risk. The world itself is coming to an end all around them! Get a glimpse at some of this mayhem below, courtesy of Empire:

With their beers blocking their faces, this first image makes it a bit tricky to identify the film's stars. But thanks to a previously tweeted set still, we know that left to right this is Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum, Pegg, Frost, and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows). Notably, Freeman appeared in both the previous Blood and Ice Cream movies, while Considine had a role in Hot Fuzz. For his part, Marsan had a role opposite Pegg in Mission: Impossible III.

This second image shows Pegg frightened and alone. What kind of threat has risen to destroy the world as we know it? We'll find out when The World's End hit theaters October 25th.

What are the odds that a man who looks like this would star in not one, but two movies where he’s required to have sex with beautiful people on camera:

No offense Martin Freeman, but I’d say almost zero. He’s ideally suited to play Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker’s Guide and it’s hard to imagine anyone looking more like Bilbo Baggins if they tried, but Martin Freeman does not look like a sex movie guy. Yet here we are, about to watch the trailer for his second, sexually charged, big screen character. I couldn’t be happier.

His first was in Love Actually where he played a porn actor and now he’s in Swinging with the Finkels a movie about, as the title suggests, swinging. Mandy Moore co-stars as his wife who agrees along with him to explore sex with other partners while maintaining their bond of marriage. Some of you are so shocked by the mere thought of this notion you’ve already clicked away from this page to post more angry comments on your “Big Love Is The Most Immoral Show In The History Of Television” messageboard (I assume this exists somewhere), for the rest of you here’s the trailer.

And as long as you're here, check out the movie's first poster:

In the same way that you know movies about nerds will invariably make fun of them, it’s probably safe to assume that the whole point of Swinging with the Finkels will be to show what a horrible idea swinging is. Odds are they won’t actually do it, so few movies ever really have the balls to go there and besides, Mandy Moore’s in it. That’s not her thing, is it? I’d love to believe this is actually a comedy about swinging, but if you’re really looking for a movie about couples engaged in group sex A Good Old Fashioned Orgy is probably better bet. I’d like to be wrong, there’s potential in this idea, it’s just a question of whether or not they actually have the balls to go there.

Swinging with the Finkels gets a limited release in California and Florida (swinger central, apparently) on August 26th. Help resurrect the career of Jonathan Silverman by seeking it out.

Though things have seemingly been progressing, I'm still not convinced that the Hobbit curse has been broken. The production is currently scheduled to begin in New Zealand on March 21, but it's hard to ignore the history of perforated ulcers, fires, failing studios, departing directors, and union issues. Provided everything works out, at least fourteen people are going to be very happy, and they are all pictured below.

Stuff.co.nz has posted the first image of The Hobbit cast, including Martin Freeman, who will be playing the lead role of Bilbo Baggins. The picture was taken in Wellington during a launch press conference that, sadly, Jackson could not attend due to his health. In addition to Freeman, James Nesbitt, Richard Armitage, William Kircher, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow and others were present and available for the photo.

Check out a cropped version of the image below and head over to Stuff.co.nz to see it full-size.

The biggest news of the past few months has come in the past week or so as what will inevitably be the biggest films of 2012 and 2013, The Hobbit, has been given the green light. Hot on the heels of that news was a big announcement yesterday Martin Freeman would be stepping into Ian Holm's hairy footsteps as Bilbo Baggins. What followed was a host of actors who would play Bilbo’s entourage of dwarves on his quest to the Lonely Mountain.

One such name was Richard Armitage, famed English actor and star of series like MI-5 and Robin Hood across the pond.

The problem is that not many people think that he looks the part, which I guess is true, but there’s one simple LOTR rule that those skeptics seem to be forgetting: everyone looks like a goddamn dwarf with a fat braided beard, grimy hair, and an ax as tall as they are. WouterG at TheOneRing.net has taken it upon himself to prove to us that Richard Armitage can in fact be a dwarf despite his outwardly pretty-boy looks.

God bless Photoshop for gracing us with this and with the earlier photo of Jon Hamm as Superman.

Barring anymore hang-ups (and having been ever the skeptic about this production, I’d be happy to not see any), production is set to begin this February. Fingers crossed that nothing else will get in the way.

The cast of The Hobbit has been revealed and it's more interesting for who's not listed as being in it, than for who is. First, who is in it. As predicted, Martin Freeman is set to play Bilbo Baggins. He seems perfect, he's the guy everyone's wanted all along, and having him play Bilbo makes so much sense that it almost seems… well… too easy. But ok, that sounds good.

Deadline has the rest of the primary cast too. The book the movie's based on tells the story of a young Bilbo Baggins setting out on a quest with a group of dwarves to free their ancestral mountain home from a dragon. So since Freeman is a Bilbo, that means the rest of the cast will be dwarfy. Leading the Dwarf contingent is Richard Armitage, who will play Thorin Oakenshield. Aidan Turner, best known for his role in Being Human and Rob Kazinsky (East Enders) will play the Dwarf brothers Kili and Fili. Graham McTavish will play the dwarf Dwalin, John Callen is Oin, Stephen Hunter is Bombur, Mark Hadlow is Dori, and Peter Hambleton will play Gloin, the father of Gimli who was played by John Rhys Davies in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Notice anyone missing? No sign of either Ian Mckellan or Andy Serkis even though both of their characters, Gandalf and Gollum respectively, are pivotal parts of The Hobbit. They're expected to return, but apparently they don't have deals done yet. Deadline is throwing around a whole host of other names who may be up for smaller roles in the film, people like James Nesbitt and former Doctor Who David Tennant. Stephen Fry, Saoirse Ronan may show up and Bill Nighy is expected to be the voice of the dragon Smaug, but they're not set yet, unlike the primary cast which now seems to be set in stone.

Here's a a more in-depth breakdown of the newly announced Hobbit cast:

Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins

Age: 39

Birthplace: Aldershot, Hampshire, England, UK

Notable Roles: Tim on BBC's The Office, Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Porn star John in Love Actually

Richard Armitage is Thorin Oakenshield

Age: 39

Birthplace: Leicester, England, UK

Notable Roles: Guy of Gisborne on BBC's Robin Hood, Uncredited Naboo fighter pilot in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Aidan Turner is Kili

Age: 27

Birthplace: Ireland

Notable Roles: The vampire Mitchell on BBC's Being Human, Bedoli on The Tudors

Rob Kazinsky is Fili

Age: 27

Birthplace: Cuckfield, Sussex, England, UK

Notable Roles: Sean on the BBC's EastEnders

Graham McTavish is Dwalin

Age: 49

Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Notable Roles: Carl Hutton in Secretariat, Ivan Sokoloff in Middle Men, Ferguson on TV's Prison Break, Lewis in Rambo

Mark Hadlow is Dori

Age: 53

Birthplace: New Zealand

Notable Roles: Stand-up Comic, Harry in King Kong, Milo on Xena: Warrior Princess

Stephen Hunter is Bombur

Age: 42

Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand

Notable Roles: voice actor, commercials

Peter Hambleton is Gloin

Age: Unknown

Birthplace: Unknown

Notable Roles: TV movies

John Callen is Oin

Age: Unknown

Birthplace: Unknown

Notable Roles: Voice work in television programming and video games

Last we heard about Martin Freeman, he was forced to turn down a deal from MGM to play Bilbo Baggins in the possibly-never-happening adaptation of The Hobbit, instead working on his BBC series Sherlock Holmes where he plays Watson. The studio has offered to work around his schedule, but as of yet we've heard more. What's bizarre is that while he was willing to turn down The Hobbit, that doesn't mean he's shutting down his movie career.

Variety reports that Freeman has signed on to Animals, a film being described as "Donnie Darko meets Gus Van Sant," for first-time director Marcal Fores. Though very few details about the film are available, Freeman plays a school teacher and it's "a fantasy-laced coming-of-age tale." Shooting in Barcelona, Spain, Freeman will only be needed for six-to-seven days of the eight week shoot, which commences next Monday.

Freeman would be spending quite a bit more than a week shooting The Hobbit, so fans shouldn't think of this as a slight against Tolkien. In fact, because it's a fantasy movie, maybe he took the role to prepare. You know what that sound is? That's me starting a rumor. Enjoy.