Danny Ramirez has a major connection to his Captain America: Brave New World character — and Us Weekly is here to unpack it.
Ramirez, 32, made his debut as Joaquin Torres in the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He reprised the role and became a superhero himself as the new Falcon, when the latest Marvel movie hit theaters on Friday, February 14.
“I knew from the moment I got the job in 2019 that I was going to become Falcon,” he told Men’s Health ahead of the Captain America: Brave New World premiere. “But then the trust issues kicked in. You’re like, you never know. Will they kill you off because they need some drama in the show? Will they need this or that? To finally take over the mantle and be able to say it — it feels good.”
In the Marvel Comics, Torres immigrated from Mexico to Arizona. However, Ramirez’s version of the character has a backstory that’s closer to home. Brave New World features one scene with Ramirez’s Torres wearing a cutoff University of Miami Hurricanes tank top (hi, biceps). The theme continues during another moment in the film, which showed several Miami-focused trinkets on Torres’ desk. Lastly, the Florida city is referenced several times during the movie’s final scene.
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Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson (Captain America) goes to chat with Torres after a big showdown, and the two have a heart-to-heart. After the sweet moment, Wilson makes several Miami-focused quips to his sidekick.
In real life, Ramirez grew up in Miami (after moving from Chicago) and — his Instagram followers will know this — is a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes football team. The actor’s fandom started when he was in elementary school, according to a 2023 interview with the University of Miami athletics department.
“I remember I took off my shirt, as a second grader, with this massive U painted on me and a camera panned [over] as well and I was going crazy,” he said at the time. “The chaperone was like ‘What are you doing? Put your shirt back on. You’re just a little kid.’ But from that moment on, I just became a hardcore fan.”
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He spoke further about his fandom during a Wednesday, February 12, appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
“I think they represent to me just the opportunity and the permission to be great,” Ramirez said of the team.
Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now.
