Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is about to take on new levels of responsibility within the MCU in his first-ever solo movie, 2024's Captain America: New World Order. By officially taking over the role of Captain America after Steve Rogers passed down the torch and the shield, he now leaves the Falcon moniker in the rearview mirror after utilizing that superhero alter-ego since 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Mackie's hero now comes into Captain America 4 with an all-star supporting cast as the group looks to stop Tim Blake Nelson's Leader, who will make a glorious return to Phase 5 following his only MCU appearance in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. This case includes Danny Ramirez, who first debuted as Joaquin Torres in 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and is now prepping for his first big-screen appearance within the MCU.
And according to a couple of the biggest names behind Captain America 4, he's now prepped and ready to be Anthony Mackie's replacement with the MCU in search of a new Falcon.
Anthony Mackie's Falcon Replacement On The Way
Speaking with Screen Rant, Captain America: New World Order director Julius Onah finally confirmed for the first time that Danny Ramirez will be replacing Anthony Mackie as the MCU's Falcon, as Ramirez's Joaquin Torres will don the wings in the 2024 movie.
Onah noted how big of a fan he is of Ramirez and Mackie, calling their relationship in Captain America 4 "one of [his] favorites" in the new story. Confirming Torres to be the new Falcon, Onah explained how their bond "really helps form the emotional core" of how Sam Wilson evolves into Captain America, showing their brotherhood and friendship through the battle:
“I’m thrilled, you know, Danny Ramirez, who’s playing Falcon, he and I go back a bit, so and Anthony’s somebody I’ve been a huge, huge fan of as well. So getting to work with them, first of all, director to actor, and then being able to shape these characters, and take the relationship forward is incredible. And their relationship is one of my favorite ones in this movie it really helps form the emotional core of how Sam has to define himself as Captain America, because he loves this guy. They are both soldiers, they’re brothers, and their journey, I think, is going to be something that really resonates with audiences.”
This comes after Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige took the stage at the D23 Fan Expo presentation, heavily implying that Torres would take on that new role in the MCU.
While congratulating Ramirez on his work in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick, Feige mentioned that both movies featured plenty of flight while asking Ramirez about his excitement to join the next Captain America movie:
Feige: “Now Danny, you were in [The Falcon and the Winter Soldier], you seem to be jealous of Sam’s wings in the show…”
Mackie: “And my sex scenes.”
Feige: “Now, well, that goes without saying. Now, Danny you then went and starred in another movie involving flight called Top Gun: Maverick, so congrats on that. You excited to be joining?”
Ramirez: “Man, I’m glad that you’ve mentioned nerves, I’m so nervous right now, because of just how it’s like… what it means to be able to to work with this amazing cast, and then with Julius [Onah], and to obviously work under you again. I’m just excited [for] everything that’s involved with it…”
In a separate interview from D23 with Screen Rant, Ramirez teased his transition to being Falcon, only hinting at the idea that "anything could happen in this universe:"
Screenrant: “I’ve been bugging you for so long about this, about Falcon coming back…”
Ramirez: “You knew a little bit more than I did.”
Screenrant: “I did.”
Ramirez: “You did.”
Screenrant: “I did. Yeah, I did”
Ramirez: “I’ve been teased to do it, but moreso I think you just… anything could happen in this universe. And so I think that was always something that I was like, ‘Okay, you never know.’ And so to finally get the call for it, to finally be official for it… for Julius to be the person that’s leading us through this, and Anthony, just like… it’s a group of like theater-trained actors that I’m excited that we’re going to be able to throw down… in this film.”
He also looked back to the moment when Torres first got his hands on the Falcon wings in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, expressing his excitement to see what happens after that tease:
“We’ll see. I mean, I don’t know really what happens within that, I mean, you guys could put it together yourselves. I haven’t read the scripts. I’ve been really excited about what I’ve heard and I think that’s where I’ll keep it… I’m very happy. I’m excited… I know you guys will be happy…”
How Will the MCU Adapt the New Falcon?
Since joining the MCU in Episode 1 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in March 2021, Danny Ramirez has been diligent about keeping the secrets surrounding his Marvel future, even with signs pointing to an eventual title boost after his Disney+ debut. Now, with Captain America 4 officially in the works, it appears that he can finally open up more with regard to where his Joaquin Torres is going in the coming years.
In the comics, Torres winds up taking over for Sam Wilson as the Falcon once Wilson becomes Captain America, which appears to be translating directly into both heroes' tenure in the MCU.
Following his immensely successful run in Top Gun: Maverick, Ramirez offered another subtle hint about his path towards being the new Falcon, but these comments from Onah are the closest anybody has come to officially confirming that direction. Now, it appears that the only question about that development is how exactly it happens in Captain America 4.
Outside of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ramirez's MCU character largely remains a mystery, with plenty of development still in store for the Air Force lieutenant. And with his partnership alongside Sam Wilson playing a central role in this new movie, his evolution into the Falcon will be just another exciting piece of the story.
Captain America: New World Order is set to release in theaters on May 3, 2024.
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