DEADLINE – Danny Ramirez is no stranger to high-flying action and intense drama, having already left his mark in the global sensation that was Top Gun: Maverick and Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Now, Ramirez is set to reprise his role as Joaquin Torres, a former US Air Force member who takes on the mantle of the Falcon from Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, in the eagerly anticipated Captain America: Brave New World, under the direction of Julius Onah.

As Ramirez, and the rest of the crew, head for reshoots on Brave New World, Ramirez has been speaking with Collider’s Maggie Boccella about his excitement at returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and hailed both Onah and Mackie for their abilities as the two captains of the ship.

Yeah, I’m excited to be a part of it and to work with Julius Onah on this one and, the rest of the creative team with Anthony [Mackie]. Any time that you spend with great creatives, I think is like, what’s better than that?

Asked if the way he approaches the character of Joaquin Torres was different to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which, although big-budget Marvel series, was still shot for television instead of the big screen, Ramirez admitted the approach remained the same. Ramirez credits his experience on Top Gun: Maverick with preparing him for the demands of the MCU, emphasizing the authenticity required in portraying physically demanding roles.

“No, I think the importance of the character was really spoken to me really early on, even before the show, and so the trajectory is an exciting one,” he admitted. “I think nothing changes in preparation. I shot them both…I shot the show after [Top Gun: Maverick], and so, I think there is so much that Top Gun taught me in regards to…obviously stunts, and the story and the blood, sweat, and tears that you leave on set and what you see in the frame.”

“So many of those moments, in order to play, you’ve realised like, “OK, for this really intense moment to play, this energy has to be expelled no matter what.” You can’t fake that. You can’t, like, pretend you’re like, sweating and like, huffing and puffing. Like there comes a time that, like, you actually have to do it.”

Who is Joaquin Torres in the Marvel Comics?

Joaquin Torres is a character in Marvel Comics who becomes the second Falcon, after Sam Wilson, who eventually takes up the mantle of Captain America. Joaquin Torres was introduced in “Captain America: Sam Wilson” #1 in 2015, created by writer Nick Spencer and artist Daniel Acuña.

In the comics, Joaquin is a Mexican-American teenager from Arizona who is kidnapped by the Sons of the Serpent, a supremacist group. He is then experimented on by Dr. Karl Malus, using Sam Wilson’s (the original Falcon) pet falcon Redwing’s DNA, which results in Joaquin undergoing a permanent transformation, gaining bird-like abilities including wings that grant him the power of flight, as well as enhanced strength and vision. After his transformation, Torres becomes the protégé of Sam Wilson, adopting the Falcon mantle to fight alongside him. His character represents a younger generation of heroes committed to social justice and fighting oppression.

Captain America: Brave New World will be released in theaters on February 14, 2025.