'Captain America' Star Danny Ramirez Reveals the 'Blessing' of 'Avengers: Doomsday'
In the final moments of Captain America: Brave New World, the Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) is recovering in a hospital bed, as incumbent Captain America Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) suggests that Torres is ready to be part of a new version of the Avengers. But for Ramirez, that scene at the end of the movie was less about setting up a new Avengers and more about the personal journey of Joaquin.
"I think for me, it was about getting to play on a real elite level," Ramirez tells Men's Journal. "There's an idea of taking on responsibility, which is a privilege. If you don't have any responsibility, you have nothing really, no skin in the game, and you can't really show what you've got. And so I think from Joaquin and Sam's relationship, it's about showing the world what you've got."
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From films like Top Gun: Maverick to hit shows like The Last of Us, Ramirez is one of the biggest rising stars among leading men in the Hollywood game. But, as he explains, his Marvel character, Torres, is similar to his own story in one specific way.
"There are a lot of parallels to my own life. What I love that [director] Julius [Onah] did early on was make Joaquin from Miami. And when I was a kid, my third-grade teacher was the cheer captain of the Miami Hurricanes, and she would bring all these heroes over to class," Ramirez explains. "As a Miami Hurricanes fan, seeing those guys allowed us to dream. They gave me permission to be great. I think for Torres, that's how he feels about Sam; you're the person I looked up to because you're the one who gave me permission."
Ramirez is quick to point out that what makes Joaquin and Sam unique Marvel heroes is that they don't have superpowers, and are instead just regular guys with an incredible work ethic. But, now, with Ramirez announced as part of the massive cast of Avengers: Doomsday, things are about to get a little more cosmic for these down-to-earth guys.
Related: 'Avengers: Doomsday' Writers Originally Said "F--- No" to One Comic Book Arc
"We've been able to hang out on weekends and really get to know each other and build that chemistry," Ramirez says of the Doomsday cast, careful not to name anybody in specific that he shares scenes with. "There's this really intangible texture that comes onto the screen, and sometimes it's built in moments when you're not working. So, we've had hangouts. We've really got to bond. I wasn't necessarily expecting that, but that's been a blessing of this all." Is he talking about sharing scenes with Professor X? We don't know, and he's not telling.
Ramirez, like the rest of the world, was shocked by the ambitious casting announcement for Doomsday, more than a full year before the movie will hit theaters.
"That announcement was generational! That's what that was!" he enthuses. "I love the marketing side of the world, so when I saw that, I was like, 'Oh my God!' Top down, that was great. What a move."
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026. You can stream Captain America: Brave New World on Disney+ now.
Related: Exclusive: Marvel Just Revealed the Key Reason Sam Became Captain America