Danny Ramirez’s Joaquín Torres has been confirmed to be the new Falcon in the MCU, taking to the skies for the first time in the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World. The mantle of the Falcon was first introduced to the MCU in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson joined Captain America and Black Widow in the battle against HYDRA with the help of his high-tech wing-suit. The Falcon has been a prominent hero and Avenger since then, but Sam Wilson relinquished the mantle after becoming the MCU’s new Captain America.

After proving his worth throughout the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will be returning to the big-screen as Captain America in 2025. This means that a new character will need to take over as the Falcon, and the perfect candidate was already teased to be donning the wing-suit back in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Marvel Studios has made many changes to Joaquín Torres in the MCU, but he will certainly make a formidable Falcon in Captain America: Brave New World and beyond.

The MCU’s New Falcon Is Joaquín Torres

The first teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World has confirmed that Joaquín Torres will officially take up the mantle of the Falcon in the MCU’s Phase 5. Torres first appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as an ally to Sam Wilson during his time as the Falcon. Torres is a United States Air Force lieutenant and intelligence officer who helped Sam Wilson rescue Captain Vassant from the LAF, gathered information on the Flag Smashers, and prepared Sam for his fight against Karli Morgenthau.

After Sam Wilson finally decided to embrace his new role of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he left his former wing-suit with Joaquín Torres. This teased the latter’s evolution into the Falcon, following in his Marvel Comics counterpart’s footsteps. Captain America: Brave New World’s trailer has now confirmed this transformation, as Joaquín Torres will receive a superhero suit of his own, and can be seen investigating strange goings-on alongside Sam Wilson as Captain America.

Joaquín Torres Falcon’s Marvel Comics History Explained

Joaquín Torres is very different in Marvel Comics in comparison to his MCU counterpart. Most notably, Marvel Comics’ Joaquín Torres is not a member of the United States Air Force, but is just a regular teenager who had just graduated from high school and was volunteering as something of a Samaritan, delivering food and water across the Mexican border, when he was abducted by the racist group Sons of the Serpent. Torres was abducted to be used as a subject in Dr. Karl Malus’ experiments.

Malus performed genetic experiments on Torres using genetic material from Sam Wilson’s vampiric falcon Redwing. This transformed Torres into a human/falcon hybrid, with huge natural wings, clawed hands, enlarged eyes, and a psychic link to Redwing. His psychic connection to Redwing means he is also connected to Sam Wilson, so he quickly becomes Captain America’s sidekick. He helps fight Serpent Solutions, formerly the Serpent Society, and even teams up with a young superhero team, the Champions.

Joaquín Torres Falcon’s Powers Explained

Joaquín Torres being a subject of Dr. Karl Malus’ experiments gifted him a hybrid physiology, as his genetic material was bonded with that of the falcon Redwing’s. However, Redwing was revealed to be vampiric, meaning Torres was granted extra abilities, including a regenerative healing factor that made the reversal of his physical manifestations, his wings, enlarged eyes, and talon-like hands and feet, impossible. Along with his flight, Torres’ regenerative ability is his most impressive power, as he can survive even potentially fatal attacks.

Joaquín Torres Falcon’s Comics Changes Explained

Several huge changes have been made to Joaquín Torres for his live-action career in the MCU. Instead of being the subject of genetic experiments that transformed him into a human/falcon hybrid, Danny Ramirez’s Joaquín Torres is just a regular human who uses a wing-suit to fly, just like Sam Wilson did as the Falcon, and still does as Captain America. The MCU’s Torres is older than his Marvel Comics counterpart, works for the United States Air Force, and, despite having no innate superhuman abilities, has more trained skills.

Joaquín Torres showed off his courage, confidence, and investigative skills in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He was able to banter with Sam Wilson, where most would perhaps be intimidated to speak to an Avenger. Torres also gathered a great deal of information on the Flag Smashers, and ran recon on their actions by himself, though this did lead to him becoming seriously injured. He is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, an expert marksman, and is fluent in multiple languages, so he will surely prove to be a huge asset in Captain America: Brave New World.

Joaquín Torres Falcon’s Role In Captain America: Brave New World Explained

Sam Wilson as Captain America will clearly be the lead of 2025’s upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, but every good hero needs a sidekick. What Sam Wilson was to Steve Rogers’ Captain America, Joaquín Torres will be to Sam Wilson. In fact, the pair seem to be much closer in Brave New World than they were in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as Torres appears to be embarking on several different missions with Sam Wilson following the attack on Harrison Ford’s President Ross.

Sam Wilson and Joaquín Torres seem to be breaking into what is presumably the Leader’s facility, perhaps setting up a great battle between the pair and Tim Blake Nelson’s returning The Incredible Hulk villain. Captain America and the Falcon, both in their wing suits, can also be seen flying past the statue of the Celestial Tiamut together, perhaps after the missile strike seen earlier in the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World. Danny Ramirez’s Phase 5 return could set Joaquín Torres up for a much bigger role in the MCU’s future, perhaps even as a member of the Avengers.