Warning! Spoilers ahead for Captain America: Brave New World ahead!Sadly, one critical change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newFalconhas completely undermined Joaquín Torres just as he’s beginning to soar. After his debut inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,the new Falcon istaking to the skies. Unfortunately, one thing lost in translation is a critical part of the new hero’s backstory.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it is one to do, switched up Torres’ backstory when adapting him forThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierand later,Captain America: Brave New World. The MCU version of Falcon is a member of the Air Force who idolized Sam Wilson and actually got the chance to fill his heroes’ shoes when Sam officially took onthe Captain America mantle. However, this ignores a major part of Joaquín’s backstory from the comics, which involves him being an immigrant who assisted other migrantstrying to come to the United States.
The Comics' Falcon Cared For His Fellow Migrants
Joaquín’s Backstory Led to a Captivating New Falcon
In 2014, Marvel shocked the world when Captain America Steve Rogers’ Super Soldier serum was neutralized, allowing his biological age to catch up with his chronological age. Unable to carry on his duties, Steve passed on the shield to his longtime friend Sam Wilson,promoting him from Falcon to Captain America. However, it wouldn’t be long before someone rose to take Wilson’s place as Cap’s best-known ally.Captain America: Sam Wilson #1by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuña followed the titular character as he begins looking for a young migrant named Joaquín Torres.
Torres is a Mexican-American who deeply cares about his people and community. To aid other migrants like himself, he would leave water, food, and other supplies for those trying to cross the border. Unfortunately, Joaquín’s good deeds only got him targeted by the Sons of the Serpent, who were kidnapping undocumented people and sending them to mad scientist Karlin Malus to be experimented on. By the timeCaptain America tracked Joaquín down, he had been genetically altered with the DNA of Sam’s falcon partner, Redwing.
With Captain America agreeing to take Joaquín under his metaphorical wing, Torres officially became the new Falcon…
Joaquín developed falcon-like wings and feet, and, thanks to vampirism that altered Redwing’s DNA, these developments were irreversible. However, Torres wasn’t dismayed by the changes to his body. Instead, he used them to help Sam take down threats like Malus and the Serpent Society. With Captain America agreeing to take Joaquín under his metaphorical wing, Torres officiallybecame the new Falconand aided Sam Wilson in his various missions.The new Falcon even grew beyond his mentor and briefly joined up with the Champions.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Played It Safer with Falcon’s Big Screen Debut
No Humanitarian Aid and No Body Horror Transformation
Joaquín Torres only existed for a few years in the comics before he was adapted into the 2021 series,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Instead of being a teenager, Torres was a first lieutenant in the Air Force and worked side-by-side with Sam as part of his support staff. While he’s got a good heart and was always shown as a good confidante to Sam, he only ever operates as part of the United States government. However,Torres does help Sam take on the Flag Smashers and even earns Sam’s old wings.
It wasn’t until 2025 that Joaquín finally took to the air as Falcon. Torres is still an Air Force member, but he’s working as Captain America’s official partner.Captain America: Brave New Worldshowcases their partnership, which does keep the lighthearted mentorship from the comics alive. And when it comes down to it, Torres chooses to help Sam when Captain America begins investigating a conspiracy, even though it makes him an enemy of the government. Whilethe relationship between Captain America and Falcon is solid, the MCU misses what made the newest Falcon so interestingin the first place.
… Torres was a compassionate young man who cared about his community
Joaquín’s origin in the comics was timely and relevant as treatments of migrants has been a huge issue in the last several years. The wayCaptain America: Sam Wilsonintroduced him showed from the get-go that Torres was a compassionate young man who cared about his community. And his subsequent transformation was a chilling satire of the horrific treatment of migrants in America, a theme that’s sadly become more and more relevant in recent years. And yet, the Marvel Cinematic Universe scrubbed this away for a more palatable, generic character.
The MCU’s Should Embrace All Aspects of Its Characters
Surface-Level Adaptations Don’t Do Characters like Falcon Well
To be fair, the Marvel Cinematic Universe generally doesn’t translate the comics 100% when adapting them into shows and movies. Liberties are often taken, updating them as necessary and even changing dynamics to better suit a story. But changes aren’t always bad and, in some cases, they can even improve things. However, the updates made to Falcon don’t improve him, they just downplay some of the most interesting things about him. Instead of using him to highlight a major issue in America,he’s more or less used as Captain America’s cheerleader with a jetpack.
…the comics didn’t get where they are by playing it safe and ignoring social issues.
Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to play to a wide audience and the migrant issue can be a point of contention for some. But the comics didn’t get where they are by playing it safe and ignoring social issues. Removing Joaquín Torres’ background as a migrant who cares for his community is a mistake, as much as it is to not showhow he rose to become the Falcon in spite of people trying to stop him from helping those in need.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on Joaquín isn’t a bad character, nor is it too late for anything meaningful to be done with him. But the creative minds driving the MCU may want to contemplate what it is that really made this version of the Falcon stand out in the larger Marvel mythos. Otherwise, the newestFalconis doomed to never reach the potential that was set by his superior comic version almost a decade ago.
