'Black Panther 2' Bringing Back Martin Freeman, 'Black Widow' Has A Dutch Giant

Even though Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't include Black Panther 2, we know that there are plans behind the scenes to get the sequel off the ground at some point. Though we're still very much in the dark about where the sequel will take the African superhero next, we do know at least one cast member who will return from the first movie, and they're not even from Wakanda. Martin Freeman will return as CIA Agent Everett Ross for the sequel

Meanwhile, Black Widow will be the first movie that officially kicks off Phase Four next year, and even though the project has been filming for a couple months now, we're just now getting word about them bringing in a massive new cast member who will likely be quite the formidable threat for Scarlett Johansson.

Find out more about this Black Panther update and Black Widow cast addition below.

First up, word on Martin Freeman returning for Black Panther 2 was confirmed by the actor himself. The actor has been making the rounds for the new film Ode to Joy, and during an interview with Collider, he was asked about whether he will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future. Freeman said:

"As far as I know, I will be. As far as I know, I will be in another Black Panther. That's my understanding. As to when that will happen, I don't know."

Agent Everett Ross was a key asset in the final battle of Wakanda after King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) brought him back to their high tech laboratory to save his life after an interrogation with Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) went wrong. And it sounds like Marvel has some kind of plan for him to be part of Black Panther's ongoing story somehow.

But the fact that Martin Freeman hasn't yet heard when Black Panther 2 will happen seems to indicate that the movie won't be shooting anytime in the next couple years. That makes sense since it wasn't included on the roster of release dates for Phase Four. But that doesn't mean the movie isn't a priority for Marvel, since it was quickly mentioned with future titles like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. More than likely, whatever story Marvel has planned for Black Panther will fit better at a later point in the MCU.

For now, we know that writer/director Ryan Coogler will return for Black Panther 2. Hopefully we'll know more soon.

Meanwhile, Black Widow is coming on May 1, 2020, bringing us a movie that takes place (at least in part) after the events of Captain America: Civil War but before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. We've heard about most of the key cast members for the movie, but a new big threat may have just been revealed for the prequel/sequel.

Though many fans think Rachel Weisz will end up being the villain in Black Widow, it would seem that there will be another formidable threat in the movie. Bodybuilder Olivier Richters, aka The Dutch Giant, has a role in Black Widow. The hulking man standing 7 feet 2 inches is the tallest active bodybuilder in the world, and he confirmed the news on Instagram:

More than likely, Richters is playing a henchman of some kind, but considering his size, I wouldn't be surprised that he ends up being one of the more formidable opponents that Black Widow goes up against. That's just speculation on our part, but someone of that size usually doesn't end up being a good guy.

Black Widow also features David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and O-T Fagbenle. You can find out more about the movie from our recap of the footage that was shown at San Diego Comic-Con last month.