Danny Ramirez, the first Latino Avenger, believes it was important to bring his own “energy, passion, and world identity” to the role

Anthony Mackie took on the role of Captain America in the Marvel Comics film Captain America: Brave New World. Saving lives alongside him on screen is Danny Ramirez, playing the character Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon. The two not only show fans that we can all see ourselves as superheroes but are examples of what true representation looks like. With this film, Ramirez is making history and holding the significant title of the first Latino Avenger, rightfully so.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Miami, Florida, young Danny Ramirez initially focused on being a star athlete. Ramirez played American football and soccer. But after playing soccer at Oglethorpe University and unfortunately experiencing an injury, he was inspired to put his efforts into a new career. Ramirez’s first acting debut was on the Showtime drama series “The Affair,” and from there you may recognize in other projects such as the Netflix series “On My Block,” Marvel TV show “The Gifted” and the film Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise. As Ramirez’s acting career grows, he joined REVOLT for an exclusive interview to share how he has drawn from personal experiences to bring the best out of himself as an artist to perfect the craft.

He shared, “For Joaquin, Julius thought it would be really important to draw parts of myself into the character. I hadn't met Julius before working with him on Captain America, but he knew a little bit about me and my personal journey. So, bringing my life in Miami into who Joaquin is was incredibly important to establish. It was a lot of trying to tap into what genuinely drove me to be a craftsman. I wanted Joaquin to have that same energy, passion and world identity. Everyone has unique ways as to how they see themselves in the world. So, my one version as to who I am gives me the freedom to fully understand what I'm bringing into the room as myself and incorporate my history in any character I play, including Joaquin.”

Julius Onah, a Nigerian American filmmaker has directed several films. The Girl Is in Trouble, The Cloverfield Paradox, Luce and now Captain America: Brave New World. Similar to what Ramirez encountered working with the director, Onah explained to REVOLT how part of his director's philosophy is to be a great listener. He believes that is the best way to bring the best out of a character's stories once it is time to say, “Action!”

Onah explained, “I grew up traveling around the world. And when you do that, you automatically have to put yourself in different perspectives. Whether it was the Philippines, or England, or Nigeria or America, where I primarily grew up. Empathy becomes important. I always try to see things from other people’s points of view because it is valuable and great for storytelling. So, in every film, I try to apply that. When working with Anthony and Danny, part of my directing philosophy is listening to them. During rehearsal, everybody came in and took part. It was great because it was an opportunity to listen to each other, to start to play these actors or players and to create trust in the shorthand amongst themselves and with me, and then all that paid off when we went to shoot the scenes.”

Before rehearsal, any actor needs to physically prepare for a film that will be action-packed. Fortunately, Ramirez had always been someone that was up for a challenge. So, training for the role of Falcon was a process he embraced head-on. He had to train for the character Fanboy in Top Gun: Maverick, but this time things were a little different. Luckily, he could reference some of his direction as an athlete and turn things up a notch to really get to the Falcon physique he imagined. To do so, he worked with Nick Schiller and incorporated martial arts as well as parkour into the actor's routine. As a result, when he was ready to put on the Falcon suit, he was in full super mode.

All in all, being a superhero is not about having powers or playing one in a movie. There are people in our lives who we have looked up to and who helped shape us into who we are today. Ramirez is grateful to have such a career where he can give others hope and aspirations to be seen on the big screen. But the budding director of Baton could not have done this alone. Ramirez expressed to REVOLT that the real superheroes in his life are from back home.

“My mom's been such a phenomenal mother figure,” he began. “She has always been my rock. She herself had to assimilate to the U.S., and so it's been this really interesting thing around building my own identity. But I've met a lot of other influential figures throughout the years. Whether it was a sports coach or mentors like Anton Cruz, I think my identity's been tied to a lot of people, and it helped me become the type of person I want to be. I also remember listening to the great Stuart Scott. The influence of his perspective and point of view of this world was something that I realized is shaping all of us. So, to me, it's been a lot of athletes and people I have instilled this philosophy of working on my craft, shaping it and getting lost in what I love to do.”