Joaquin Torres might be the latest addition to Marvel’s heroes catalog as Sam Wilson passes on his wings in Falcon and Winter Soldier.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 5, “Truth”, now streaming on Disney +.
A lot of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is about the weight behind the legacy of Captain America’s shield and who should inherit it, and series hero Sam Wilson grapples with whether or not to accept that burden. But as Sam gets the hang of his responsibility, he’s leaving a legacy of his own and potentially setting up a new hero in his wake.
Joaquin Torres has his own superhero history in the comics, the seeds of which have already been planted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This episode pushes him one more step towards becoming the next Falcon.
Sam Wilson doesn’t seem to think about his own symbolic status as the Falcon for much of the series. While his position as hero and avenger earns him the treatment of a celebrity, it never seems like he might leave anything behind if he moved in Captain America’s cloak. That’s probably why he threw off his wings so easily in the last episode.
To be fair, the wings had seen better days. While in combat with John Walker, enraged at the death of his partner Battlestar and fortified by the Super Soldier Serum, the mad captain managed to rip off Falcon’s wings in their skirmish. Joaquin took great interest in the wings as he watched the aftermath, in awe that they had even been destroyed. When Sam moved to leave them, Joaquin’s own interest seemed to linger, and this could be the perfect setup for a new hero.
The future of the MCU is currently full of potential new heroes and successors to the current Avengers, but this is a particularly devious introduction from Marvel’s side. Only been around since 2015, Joaquin Torres is a relatively new character whose name could easily slip a lot of fans, and so far in the Disney + series, he’s already serving as the tech-savvy backup role in support of Sam’s missions. If Sam moved on to the role of Captain America, as he seems to be well prepared at the moment, Joaquin could easily take on his old mantle.
An inevitable rematch with John Walker is set as the deluded hero creates his own shield in the episode’s post-credits sequence, and Sam unlocks a high-tech briefcase that Bucky gave him, a package from Wakanda that could easily be re-iterated. to be. of the Captain America costume. After tenacious practice with the shield to handle it effectively, it looks like Sam Wilson is ready for the role. But what exactly Joaquin will need with the wings remains to be seen.
It may be too early to expect Joaquin to immediately fill Falcon’s boots, but the setup is clear. When he is needed most, the heroes of Marvel can expect some support from their next high-flying hero.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, directed by Kari Skogland, stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. New episodes will debut on Disney + on Fridays.
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