Danny Ramirez Flies High as the Falcon in 'Captain America: Brave New World'

Danny Ramirez is ready for takeoff.

The actor suits up as Joaquin Torres, aka the Falcon, in Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World. Ramirez, 32, is no stranger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having made his debut in the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. But with Brave New World, he’s reaching new heights — literally. With Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson taking up Captain America’s shield, Joaquin follows in his footsteps as the new incarnation of the Falcon.

Speaking to Marvel.com ahead of the film’s premiere, Ramirez said he’s been overwhelmed by the positive fan reaction to Joaquin so far.

“The part that’s been really powerful has been the response I’ve seen from kids that reminded me of myself,” Ramirez tells Marvel.com. “When I was their age, I didn’t have anyone in the space to look up to in the same way. I was kind of saddened by that. For me, it was athletes and musicians mainly because that’s who I could see myself as. But it’s been the most amazing feeling seeing people get uplifted and their hope in seeing themselves on screen.”

He notes that even though the movie has yet to hit theaters, he’s already seen scores of fans in flawless Falcon cosplay — wings and all. “That’s been beautiful to experience,” he says with a smile.

Taking on the role of the Falcon also meant that Ramirez had to throw himself into training to prepare for some of those high-flying action scenes. Not only did he hone his martial arts skills and spend weeks practicing in the gym, but he also pored over Joaquin’s appearances in Marvel comics.

“The type of Joaquin I wanted, which you can find in the comics, was one that has incredible amounts of youthful energy and is eager to impress,” Ramirez explains. “He is incredibly agile and swift. Wanting to translate that from the comics to the movie made me build a pretty strong foundation of not only the mixed martial arts that we were learning, but the fight choreography, stunts, and wire work.”

But even after all that prep, Ramirez says some of his favorite days on set were the ones where he kept his feet on the ground. One highlight was an early scene where Sam, Joaquin, and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) are in a limo headed to the White House. Director Julius Onah encouraged the three actors to improvise, trading playful digs and insulting one another’s wardrobe until they all dissolved into laughter.

“Carl got jokes!” Ramirez remembers with a laugh. “It was just nonstop ragging on each other. It was a good time because every take was fresh. We had the outline of what we had to hit and what beats, but Julius was like, ‘Have a blast. Go at it.’”

As for his predecessor as the Falcon? Mackie didn’t have any particular words of advice to share with Ramirez. Instead, Ramirez says, Mackie quietly led by example on set.

“From day one, I realized that I learned so much by just observing him,” Ramirez says. “He was taking on the mantle of Captain America in the same way I was taking over the mantle of Falcon. I could just observe how he went through that process and learn via that. He knew the Marvel lay of the land and everyone on set.”

Still, Mackie did have some words of wisdom to pass on to his costar.

“The advice he has given me is real estate advice,” Ramirez says with a laugh. “He’s like, ‘Why are you still renting?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know!’ He’s going to be my real estate agent. He just doesn’t know that yet.”

Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters February 14, 2025.