The Falcon & The Winter Soldier's Redwing is almost unrecognizable compared to his comic book counterpart, but the changes work much better with the MCU's style. Falcon & Winter Soldier kicked off with an audacious premiere on Disney+, blending the typical high-octane superhero action fans have come to expect from Kevin Feige's sandbox, while simultaneously exploring Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson more personally than ever before.
The opening episode (ominously titled "New World Order") is punctuated by a mammoth aerial sequence that stands among the MCU's most visually impressive yet, small screen or otherwise. Working for the U.S. military as a contractor, Sam Wilson straps on his Falcon gear to take down the LAF and their apparent leader, Georges Batroc, last seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. After infiltrating the hijacked aircraft, Wilson chases the gliding goons through the air and onto other enemy ships, all while blowing up the various vehicles trying to clip his metal wings. The mission is successful, but with Bucky still trying to figure out the ins-and-outs of Tinder and come up with new ways to antagonize his therapist, Falcon carries out the rescue alone.
Fortunately, Sam isn't entirely flying solo. As well as Intelligence Officer Torres offering salient information from the ground (i.e. entering Libyan airspace = bad), Falcon can rely on his trusty Redwing for assistance, and the sidekick is instrumental in protecting Sam from enemies in the dogfight over Tunisia. Marvel comic fans will recognize Redwing as a key aspect of Falcon's character, but this bird is very different in live-action. What has Falcon & Winter Soldier changed, and why?
Redwing In The Marvel Comic Books
MCU fans might be surprised to learn that Redwing is an actual, living Falcon in the Marvel comics - a bird that accompanies Sam Wilson while fighting crime on the troubled streets of Harlem. Furthermore, Redwing is intertwined with the story of how Sam Wilson becomes Falcon in the first place. Unlike Anthony Mackie's character in the MCU, the original Sam Wilson was given his powers by the Red Skull as part of a grand plan to defeat Captain America once and for all, but it's Redwing the bird who encounters the red, white and blue Avenger first in Captain America #117. Sent to face the Exiles on a remote island, Steve Rogers is aided against the natives by a mysterious bird who's suspiciously adept at kicking ass, and Cap soon follows this falcon back to its trainer, the Falcon. Sam Wilson proclaims himself a bird fanatic, and Redwing is his personal, highly-trained avian accomplice.
A later issue reveals how Red Skull used his Cosmic Cube to craft Sam Wilson's superhero persona, giving him the ability to communicate telepathically with Redwing. It's this psychic connection that allows Falcon and Redwing to fight together with such fluency and cooperation, and Wilson can also use his flying partner as a scout, literally seeing through the bird's eyes. Redwing is ever-present throughout Falcon's Captain America appearances, his solo run, and Wilson's stint replacing Steve Rogers. The bird even fights alongside his master as part of the Avengers, remaining loyal through thick and thin. In 2015, Redwing received a gothic upgrade thanks to Baron Blood, who bit the falcon and turned him into a flying vampiric hybrid of sorts.
Redwing As A Drone In The MCU
Redwing made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, but that impressive crimson plumage was swapped out for the cold metal of a hi-tech drone. Officially designated the catchy title of "Stark Drone MK82 922 V 80Z V2 Prototype Unit V6," Redwing was created by Tony Stark after Sam Wilson joined the Avengers full-time. The drone was used for reconnaissance in Lagos during the opening sequence of Captain America: Civil War, but proved its combat abilities when deploying machines guns to help Black Widow out of a sticky situation... even if she did refuse to thank him. Redwing later proved effective against Team Stark's Spider-Man, as well as Iron Man himself. The cute-but-lethal drone makes a brief appearance in Avengers: Infinity War, splitting into three smaller units and piercing through enemies like warm butter. But only Falcon & Winter Soldier truly does justice to Redwing. The introductory action spectacle reveals a laser attachment strong enough to cut through the fuselage of a plane, and powerful rockets that take down enemy aircraft.
There may not appear to be much comparison between the magnificent, intelligent bird of the Marvel comics and the MCU's souped-up $99 Amazon drone, but the two serve very similar functions for their respective Falcons. Anthony Mackie is able to command the Redwing with his voice, and the bot is evidently equipped with some kind of artificial intelligence that translates vague orders such as "get them off our ass" into strategic maneuvers. These features give the effect of telepathic communication between Sam Wilson and his drone, mirroring the comic character and his feathered friend. The on-board cameras and scanners mimic Falcon's comic ability to see through Redwing's eyes, and the drone is every bit as useful in battle as his animal rival. With its red paint job and bird-shaped design, the sight of the MCU's Redwing drone alongside Sam Wilson is visually similar to the airborne Marvel comic book duo... from a distance, and if you don't look too closely.
Why Falcon & Winter Soldier's Redwing Is Better For Live-Action
It comes as no surprise that the mechanical Redwing is a far better fit for the MCU than an all-action psychic bird with vampiric tendencies. Marvel's movie franchise is (or perhaps, was *sob*) built around Tony Stark, and the engineering expertise of Robert Downey Jr.'s billionaire playboy philanthropist has been used to provide plausible explanations for outlandish elements from Marvel comic books. Spider-Man's suit, Captain America's shield, and every darn inch of Vision's body emanated from a Stark laboratory, because grounding the MCU's superheroes in advanced technology is more believable than some of the stuff Stan Lee and his cohorts were coming up with in the 1960s. Redwing is no exception; the image of a bright red bird tackling Chitauri invaders is almost impossible to execute in a way that isn't unintentionally hilarious, even for the mighty Marvel Studios.
Switching Redwing to a drone also clicks better with Sam Wilson's live-action origin story. In the comic books, Falcon's powers were gifted from a mystic source (the Cosmic Cube) and his bird telepathy predated the mechanical wings Wilson would eventually become known for. Associated with Falcon since his very first appearance, Redwing naturally became a vital component of Sam Wilson's comic book lore. But the MCU changes up Sam's history, introducing the character as a military veteran who wields a prototype flying technology. Not only does this make Falcon's wings his biggest super-selling point (rather than mastery of the bird-folk), but his backstory becomes technological in nature, with no inherent superpowers in sight. Explaining an authentic version of Redwing becomes difficult under such circumstances, and an advanced drone that Sam talks to as if it were alive is the best The Falcon & The Winter Soldier can offer within the rules and guidelines of the MCU.