Arturo Hilario
El Observador
This Valentine’s Day roses won’t be the only popular and red hued things. A bright red Hulk, played by Harrison Ford, will be terrorizing Washington D.C. and destroying the capitol’s most famous structures, from the White House and the Washington Monument to the famous cherry blossom trees. And who is to stop this angry foe?
The new Captain America, Sam Wilson.
Captain America: Brave New World brings forth the new era of Marvel Studios, signaling big changes ahead for the next generations of not only Captain America, but of the future of the Avengers and the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe started in 2008 with Iron Man.
This action thriller takes place after the events of the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, where audiences had an opportunity to really get to know Sam Wilson/Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, after he becomes the new Captain America, taking on the shield but also taking on the responsibilities that once belonged to super soldier Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).
It’s not an easy change for the character, not only is Sam not a super soldier, but he is also a Black man taking on the role of representing the best qualities of America in a time where the country is in chaos.
Both the show, and now the film ask the question, “What does it mean to be Captain America?”
Joining Wilson in this journey of becoming a hero is his sidekick Joaquin Torres, a soldier who returns from the Disney+ series as his mentee and constant aid in working to save the country, while also attempting to earn his wings as the next Falcon. Portrayed by Danny Ramirez, the character is also trying to figure out what it means to be a hero and taking on responsibilities he might not feel prepared for.
This duo of Sam and Joaquin must confront a secret and calculating antagonist who is attempting to bring the United States into a war, and who is responsible for transforming the president of the country into the aforementioned raging red Hulk. How will Captain America and the Falcon rise to the occasion?
Both Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramirez recently spoke with us to give us insight into what it meant to take on these roles, how Mackie unknowingly recorded an iconic line in a closet, and what Ramirez said was the moment he knew his own representation mattered.
Captain America: Brave New World is exclusively in theaters now.
To start off, I wanted to know, how are you guys feeling that you’re moving on in the journey from the anticipation of what people are going to think to actually getting released?
Anthony Mackie
I’m excited because at the end of the day, after seeing the movie and knowing the work that we put in, we made a good movie, and we made a movie that proudly represents the Captain America moniker. The really cool part about it is we are now at the beginning phase of the MCU where you get to meet these characters, learn these characters and grow with these characters to the great crescendo, which would be the culmination of the second phase of the MCU.
Danny Ramirez
Yeah, I’m stoked. I just saw it on the side. I saw it two weeks ago. And you put so much energy and effort into something. And there’s so many versions of making the movie. Obviously, it’s writing the script. It’s then throwing down and getting into it. And then there’s obviously the postproduction process. So, you think you know the movie you’ve made, and you want it, and you want all your effort and everyone’s effort to reflect that. But when I finally saw it, I was like, “oh, oh we got a good one.”
Anthony Mackie
And it’s really weird because we fly, but we don’t fly in real life. So, a lot of our stuff we don’t see until the VFX and CGI is done. So, you only see 60% of the movie when you’re doing ADR and stuff like that. And the rest of it is like cartoon stick figures of you flying through the sky and fighting stick figures until it’s done. And it’s not done until this week. So, we’re just now seeing the complete project.
Danny Ramirez
It’s insane.
And there must be some magic, I’m sure, of seeing it all come together finally.
Danny Ramirez
I cried.
Anthony Mackie
I cried too. But there’s so many different aspects of these movies people don’t get. Like one of my favorite things, when we did Avengers: Endgame, that last final moment in Endgame, when Steve Rogers is standing on a cliff and I come through the portal, and I say, “Cap, on your left.”
So I got a call about three to a month before the release of the movie from [director] Joe Russo. And he goes, “Anthony, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to find a quiet place and record these lines.” So I’m like, “All right.” I go in the closet, I put a blanket over my head, and I record the lines like, “Cap, can you hear me? Cap, on your left.”
I send it to him, no idea where they’re going to use it, no idea what it was for. It could have been for a cola commercial, anything. So I’m sitting in the movie, we get to the end of the movie and I hear the line, and I’m like, “Holy shit. Like how? They just stuck that in there.” They realized in editing they needed that moment. They needed something to bring us back into that battle scene and bring everybody in. And they decided to use that as a callback to the first time we met. Wow.
Danny Ramirez
I don’t know that story at all. That’s sick. That’s really cool.
Anthony Mackie
Recorded that in the closet!
Danny Ramirez
Boom. Exclusive.
Anthony, I’m sure you received some insight or advice from Chris Evans on becoming Captain America, some tips on taking the shield. Now, did you have any wisdom or advice to impart on Danny for taking on the wings of the Falcon?
Anthony Mackie
No, I literally enjoyed watching Danny crash and burn every day. Every time he had to land, I would just step back and just watch him. I would be flying. I would land and I would look back for him, and he would just be eating dirt. I enjoyed it because I went through the same thing.
But I have to say, being on set, I learned just as much from Danny as he, I would think, learned from me. There’s a certain type of appreciation, an idea of love of your craft, a warm, heartfelt, “that a boy” after every time you do a take or something goes right. After 24 years, sometimes you get jaded, and you forget that and you need somebody or something to remind you of that.
This is one of the first times in my career that I was on set, and I was actually looking forward to going to work, and I was excited about the experience of having somebody to work with who loved and appreciated this opportunity just as much as I did.
It’s exciting to see that we have Black and Latino heroes headlining this film, and I was wondering how that makes you feel in terms of representation and the effect that has on those that see themselves in you on the screen?
Danny Ramirez
Well, for me, it all culminated. I got a call from a friend who was like, “Can I FaceTime you real quick? My nephew doesn’t believe I know you.” And I was like, “What? I’m just me.” The movie hasn’t come out yet. And I’m like, “Yeah, sure.” So I FaceTime him, and his nephew has the Falcon toy just there. And then his mouth drops. He’s like, “What?!” And I realized it’s just one of those moments that reminds you of the impact that, and I think the magic that the MCU has created in regards to, one, representation, but two, the dreams that it allows kids to believe in.
That was a direct lesson that I learned on the fly two weeks ago. It’s a continuous lesson that every single time it’s happened, I’m reminded of the impact of representation and what it’s like to look at someone that could represent you on a screen.
Last question: What does being Captain America signify in the year 2025?
Anthony Mackie
Julius Onah, our director, and I met many times, and we would talk every day on set about this character. Almost like an NFL coach, the two words we always came back to, and every time we would break the huddle, we would say, “empathy and compassion,” and I think that’s what Sam Wilson represents. I think that’s why Steve Rogers gave him the shield.
I think that’s why he’s so beloved by the fans of these comic books, and now soon to be this movie, is because he represents the best inside of us. I think when people see the movie, they’ll get it. Just like I got it when I saw Christopher Reeve’s Superman. The most decent, the most beautiful character on the inside is the character that everyone will appreciate once you see him because it’s the best version of yourself.
Captain America: Brave New World is exclusively in theaters now.
