Many of the heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe undergo minor changes to better fit the medium. They don’t always make sense. Kamala Khan has a new suite of powers that tend to be much more boring. Mutants, like Quicksilver, had to get their gifts from different sources. Some characters, like the Mandarin and Adam Warlock, have very little in common with their comic book counterparts. Surprisingly, Sam Wilson might be an underdog candidate among the characters with the biggest alterations. Nowhere is that better depicted than in Falcon’s aerial drone, Redwing.
One of the weird things about MCU fans is their ability to notice changes. They rail against some creative choices while celebrating or ignoring others. Anyone who mandates blind adherence to the source material will regularly find themselves breaking their own rule. Changing the narrative is a tool that can be used well or poorly. A lot of Marvel’s changes have worked out, but some make things feel a bit more boring.
What is Redwing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Redwing is Sam Wilson’s combat and recon drone. It comes attached to Sam’s EXO-7 Falcon wingsuit, resting in a compartment behind the back of his neck. Sam controls Redwing with a wrist-mounted touch screen and several voice commands. Sam treats Redwing as a pet, though no one else seems to have the same affection for the machine. The first Redwing is officially called Stark Drone MK82 922 V 80Z V2 Prototype Unit V6. While its inventor remains unknown, Redwing is a piece of Stark Industries technology. Fans may remember Sam piloting the original Redwing in Civil War, where he used it to regain some ground after he and Bucky lost a 2v1 against Spider-Man. Redwing enjoyed some upgrades before Infinity War, where it can be seen splitting into three smaller drones to attack flying enemies. After the Snap, Sam got a new Falcon suit, complete with a new Redwing. Karli Morgenthau snapped that Redwing in half. Sam got two new Redwing drones from Wakandan scientists as part of his new Captain America gear.
The primary use of Redwing is surveillance. Its cameras allow Sam to scout locations in advance, see through solid objects with x-ray vision, and access detailed tactical data. All the information it gathers uploads directly to Sam’s goggles, giving him much greater battlefield awareness. Redwing is small and quiet, allowing it to move stealthily and ambush foes. The drone also has combat applications, making it a vital aspect of Falcon’s kit. Falcon is a unique hero from a combat perspective. His attacks usually involve the many unique angles he can reach with his wingsuit, but Redwing allows him to divide his attention and strike multiple foes. Redwing has a pair of mounted machine guns, a laser targeting system, and a missile launcher. Sam sometimes also just uses Redwing as a projectile, firing its small metal body directly into foes.
What is Redwing in Marvel Comics?
|
Aliases |
Brother Bird, Brother Redwing |
|---|---|
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First Appearance |
Captain America #117 |
|
First Appearance Date |
June 1969 |
|
Creators |
Stan Lee and Gene Colan |
Redwing is a falcon that Sam Wilson purchased in Rio de Janeiro. Marvel Comics’ Sam Wilson is a social worker who becomes the Hero of Harlem. He develops a natural bond with birds at a young age, initially raising pigeons on a rooftop before mastering falconry. He bought Redwing and brought the bird to the Caribbean to hunt. While on that island, Sam encounters the Red Skull’s minions and Captain America. Steve taught Sam to fight and inspired him to become the Falcon. The Red Skull wielded the Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the MCU, against Sam and Steve before they defeated him. The Cube’s reality warping effect created a psychic link between Sam and Redwing, bonding his mind to his trusty falcon. They can speak telepathically, enabling Redwing’s personality to shine through. Sam’s psychic bird later fought Baron Blood and suffered a vampire bite, transforming him into a vampire falcon. Redwing is a key part of the Falcon mantle, transferring from Sam to Joaquin Torres with the name. Redwing also once killed the immortal vampire Deacon Frost, best known as the villain of the first Blade movie, by piercing his heart.
Why did Marvel change Redwing?
The shortest possible answer is cowardice. Marvel rarely likes mixing worlds outside specifically defined crossover material. The military stuff has to stay grounded and a bird of prey providing psychic commentary into Anthony Mackie’s head would not fit the tone of Captain America: Winter Soldier. It’s too silly for a film franchise that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s perfect in the comics, where no such boundaries between tone and genre exist. The unfortunate truth of blockbuster entertainment is that part of the mass-market appeal requires deliberately distancing oneself from the comic book aesthetic.
Sam Wilson’s psychic vampire falcon is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sam is a more engaging character in the comics, where his motivation ties tightly into his background. Marvel will likely never give Sam a real Redwing. The drone fulfills his combat needs and reinforces the general pro-military vibe. Every time Sam gives a command to his pet UAV, try not to imagine how much better it would be if he was transmitting his thoughts to his mighty namesake.
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