Martin Freeman: 'I will be returning for Black Panther 2'

Martin Freeman believes he will be reprising the role of Everett K. Ross in the next Black Panther movie.

 The Sherlock actor first played the CIA operative, who had been tasked to control and regulate the actions of the Avengers, in Captain America: Civil War, and returned for 2018's Black Panther, where he was injured in the line of duty and saved by Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, before going on to help Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa and his forces battle Michael B. Jordan's antagonist Erik Killmonger. 

 Original director Ryan Coogler has signed on to direct a follow-up, but further details are currently unknown. However, in a new chat with Collider, the British actor said he expected to be back for the sequel.  

 "As far as I know, I will be returning," he shared. "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."  

 It isn't known when the sequel will be released, but as it didn't appear on Marvel's slate for 2020 and 2021 during their San Diego Comic-Con presentation, it's likely it won't be due until at least 2022.  

 Alongside Freeman, other castmembers expected to return for the sequel include Wright, Boseman, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, and Winston Duke. 

 Last year, Marvel boss Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly the plot for the sequel was coming together and he teased that audiences would be seeing more of Wright's Shuri.   

 "One of the favourite pastimes at Marvel Studios is sitting around on a Part One and talking and dreaming about what we would do in a Part Two. There have been plenty of those conversations as we were putting together the first Black Panther. We have ideas and a pretty solid direction on where we want to head with the second one," he said.