Sunday, July 26, 2015

Redwing

 
OK, we've had Falcon in (spoiler) two movies now, but we have yet to see his ever-present partner, Redwing. Redwing has been around since Falcon first appeared in Captain America #117, but the films seem content on leaving him out.

Why do we need Redwing? Firstly, because the character deserves the recognition. If we can center a movie around a gun-toting raccoon and a talking tree, surely we can thrown in a telepathic falcon (the Flash already did the telepathic gorilla, after all!) Secondly, it makes Falcon more unique. What does he have now? He can fly. Great. So can Iron Man, War Machine, Thor, and upcoming Captain Marvel and Dr. Strange. Oh, and anybody who has a plane. So he's not unique.

Further, in both (spoiler again) movies he's been in, his tech has been compromised. The Winter Soldier ripped his wing right off in the Captain America sequel, and Scott Lang was able to deactivate the suit from the inside in Ant-Man. So he needs something beyond the tech.

I present to you now, three methods of bringing in Redwing to the MCU.

1) The "realistic" method
The easiest to sell, but least cool IMO, would simply be to give Sam Wilson some backstory as a Falcon trainer (as in the comics) but leave out the telepathic communication, and ability to see and observe through the eyes of any birds. This would be similar to Falcon's earliest appearances, and give him a small fighting companion to make his fighting style unique, with commands that could conceivably be followed by an ordinary Falcon. Even though long-distance communication would be out, some cool feats could still be done using Redwing as a transport/delivery vessel. Don't tell me it wouldn't be amazing to see Scott Lang riding Redwing as a faster alternative to his flying ants (RIP Antony).

2) The "comic" method
One step past giving commands is actual communication with birds. And while before I would have admitted that this would be a little far-fetched for this realm of the MCU, Hank Pym changed all that. With very little explanation, audiences have accepted that Hank Pym, and ANYONE who's trained enough (Hope, Scott), can communicate with ants. What's to stop Wilson or Pym or whoever from modifying this technology to birds? Having Sam being able to talk to Redwing would not only make him a truly unique character with wicked awesome fight scenes, but I would love to see a moment when the villains thinks they have the upper hand only to turn and see a murder of crows blanketing the sky, coming right for them.

3) The "tech" method
Fine. Throw out any chance of audiences buying a bond between man and bird. Redwing could still work. How? By going the route of J.A.R.V.I.S. That's right, Redwing becomes R.E.D.W.I.N.G. - Remote-Enabled Dexterous Weaponized Intelligent Nonhuman Guardian. Do I even have to explain how awesome this could be? Preprogrammed fighting styles and moves, observational technology sending remote signal to Falcons HUD of what REDWING "sees" or "hears." Recording and playback make stealth missions easy peasy. Throw in some weapons for when emergencies arise - whether that be energy blasts, spraying gas, sonic screams, grappling talons, or all of the above - and you've got yourself one amazing little gadget. I personally think this would be the most MCU-appropriate method, although it would be made infinitely better if we discover that Wilson HAD a pet Falcon named Redwing earlier in life (just like the JARVIS/Jarvis relationship with Stark).

 
 
So what do you think? Would you like to see Redwing in the MCU? If so, what method would you prefer? If not, what else can be done to make Sam more unique? (Aside from having him take up the Captain America mantle - that's a whole other discussion!)
 

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