Danny Ramirez didn’t just want to look convincing in the air for Captain America: Brave New World — he wanted to look convincing to one person in particular: Tom Cruise.
In a recent interview, Ramirez (who plays Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon) said he felt pressure to get the “flight” details right because his Top Gun: Maverick costar might see the movie and clock every wrong move.
Ramirez joked that if Cruise saw his body positioning, he’d be “judging the aerodynamics,” so he focused on keeping proper form — including head position and “banking” — even when the final shot might be enhanced with effects.
That mindset, Ramirez explained, came straight from the discipline drilled into the Top Gun cast. He recalled bringing what he called a “G-force face” to certain takes — essentially acting through the physical strain to sell the illusion of speed and pressure — because he wanted the aerial sequences to feel grounded, not weightless.
Ramirez has also pointed to behind-the-scenes collaboration that helped shape the movie’s flight work. In another interview, he said he set up a conversation between Brave New World director Julius Onah and Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie to talk through what makes aerial action read as believable on camera.
All of that effort matters because Torres’ Falcon isn’t presented as a flawless, sci-fi upgrade. Ramirez noted that while Sam Wilson’s Captain America has advanced tech at his disposal, Torres’ setup is comparatively more old-school — meaning his movement and physical precision have to do more of the storytelling when the wings come out.
For Ramirez, the fear of a Cruise “accuracy check” was ultimately a funny motivator — but it also fits the moment he’s stepping into. With Brave New World, Torres isn’t just tagging along; he’s inheriting the kind of high-flying superhero action that invites scrutiny. And Ramirez is clearly determined to earn it, one aerodynamic bank at a time.
