#ramirez legacy

[pixelblooming]

birthday party with the great-grandparents first / previous / next

[matchalovertrait]

Party time! 🥳 Everyone ate some delicious food, mingled, and overall had a fun time. We could say it was like three different worlds collided in one room, but perhaps "blended seamlessly" is more accurate than "collided." But yes... somebody IMPORTANT was missing...... ❤️‍🩹 my ginger king, Lewis!! Yes, I know, I'm an accurate mind reader 😌 He never showed up; maybe he couldn't take too much time off work, but we appreciate his support. Also, Mia had a nice conversation with Dulce. She explained that if Dulce ever wondered why she never reached out before, it's because she felt like she didn't need to. She believes Dulce is on the right track, exactly where she needs to be. And because of that, Mia is very proud of her.

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

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[bestsistertournament]

[venusisshe]

Late V-Day post

Credit to Noir Angelz for hair, poses, clothes and backdrop

[audreyscribes]

PJO ROMAN DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: ⚔ BELLONA: GODDESS OF WAR, DESTRUCTION, DEVASTATION, CONTROLLER OF THE POLICY OF FOREIGN WARFARE 🛡

Author's Note: Alright, here's the first full Roman God and demigod! Bellona was a wild to read. There's a lot about her but also not? Like there wasn't much a lot of backstory weight behind her and Bellona was often conflated with a Greek god, Enyo, and there's a both wild and carnage side to Bellona, but also respect and honour. Hopefully I did it justice though. ROMAN DEMIGODS H/CS MASTERLIST LINKS: [TUMBLR] // [AO3]

Apart from Mars, Bellona is the next god to be worshipped at Camp Jupiter; so you’re equally respected alongside Bellona and are expected to embody the aspects of your mother and bring glory to Camp Jupiter with her skills and ferocity.

Just as much as you bring destruction and violence at the end, you bring peace when you end it; because at the end of war, there is peace; regardless of its outcome. Like Mars said, if there is only war, it's only mindlessly killing and there is no glory in that.

Like many other children of warfare, you are adept at fighting, the weapon in your hand an extension of yourself, and it only grows more fluidly and instinctually in your hands with time put into your skill. Your adeption at your weapon doesn’t necessarily have to be a blade, but can be your words and skill as well, because in war there are many methods and strategies in war.

Speaking of warfare, with Bellona being a patron of foreign warfare, you may have ties with other countries and adopt your birth country or home country’s style of warfare, battling, martial art style into your own. If not, you have a particular pull towards a country or style of warfare and become very knowledgeable in it. While in the Legion and Camp Jupiter tells you to conform with their Roman values and fighting style, at the soonest opportunity to being able to break formation and take on an individualistic maneuver, you are more deadly than before. Your limitation is being forced to move with your fellow Roman soldiers in order to maintain unity and harmony as you march towards the battlefield.

On the other hand, being a child of the patron of foreign warfare also extends to languages. You have a better grasp on languages that are outside of your birth language(s) so being multilingual is almost natural to you. The multilingualism is usually a good indication of foreign warfare tactics that I stated above, and vise-versa. 

Bellona was identified with the Greek Goddess Enyo, who is the goddess of and/or personified spirited of war. With Enyo, who followed the lead of Ares, she carried the turmoil of shameless hatred; bringing strife onto the battlefield. You too are like that once you are put on the battlefield. When you are no longer held back or behind the limits of strict values of Roman soldiers, you raze through your enemies, striking fear in your fellow soldiers but also courage to them as you are on their side. This is maybe why the children of Bellona are few and those who do exist, often take upon status of leadership and management. You are an expert in warfare and how to bring total destruction, thus you are in the right place to prevent such occurrences to your fellow Romans.

Bellona was also identified with the Sabine goddess of War, Nerio, who was the personification of Valor. This translates to you as well. Even if you are anxious and maybe shy, you honour Bellona by choosing to fight; whether it’s agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. While Valor is often conflated with courage or bravery in physical battle, being a child of Bellona doesn’t constrain you to this. It can be a mental battle, and Bellona is proud of you regardless. So even having mortal courage to act rightfully in the face of opposition, shame, scandal, discouragement, or personal loss, you still display the virtue of valour.

Being a child of Bellona also allows you to give a rousing and encouraging speech to others, as you can ignite the spark of encouragement in others, building their courage up like a fire.  This is very useful not only in battle, but in everyday life. You also make an excellent ambassador or spokesperson, speaking for profit or other interests. Guess that’s how Reyna became a great praetor.

I feel like when Reyna is made aware of your existence there’s a sense of scrutiny for Bellona’s favour and attention is rare outside of the field of war. Reyna also comes from a long line of those who were favoured by Bellona, so it is her responsibility to know you but also it is a relief she can find another sibling in you; however close or distant your relationship is. 

[makgeolii]

[pollocklegacy]

Newcrest High School Class of 2027 Graduation

in game: June 1, 2027

[to-the-stars8]

The building was old and worn down, but Jason had known the place for far too long to care. He took his first steps in the building, saw his father be arrested on the front stoops, found Catherine dead in their apartment bathroom, and it was wear Bruce found him after Jason hit him with the tire iron.

In recent years, it had taken on some new residents that made the place look better in small ways by putting out door mats and plants. That didn’t stop the people from being the same.

Mrs. Ramirez down the hall still complained about him being out so late in a city like Gotham. Mr. Singh usually sat out on the stoop with a cigarette in his hand, talking about the political state of the country and city (Jason tried to avoid him whenever he came in). Those were just the old tenants—the younger, newer ones were about the same, albeit a bit more socially conscious.

Jason was unlocking his apartment door when Miss Reinmann, an eighty year old bat of a woman who spoke her mind whenever she wanted, began to leave hers. Jason, after initially getting annoyed by her rudeness, grew to admire Miss Reinmann for her ability to tell it how it was.

“Morning, Miss Reinmann, goin’ on your walk?” Jason said as he pulled the key from the door. He stopped to look at her, glancing over her bright blue track suit and the curly gray hair poking out in all directions from under her headband.

Miss Reinmann smacked her hips as she proudly stated, “Take it all in, boy. You’ll never find a hotter body than mine!”

Jason snickered as he mumbled, “Okay, Miss Reinmann, enjoy your run.”

“Hold on,” she said, stopping her little stomping in place for a moment. “Your father was Willis Todd, huh?”

“Yes, he was,” Jason said as he remembered his father. The man he recalled was tall with strong arms and hands. “What about my dad?”

“I woulda pounced on him if I had a chance, the kind of man he was—Mm-hm! Good man. Inside and out.” She closed for a second like she was remembering Willis. Jason was starting to feel uncomfortable. Ms. Reinmann opened her eyes again and smiled. “Anyway, you’re the spitting image of your Willis. Right down to the freckle on your ear.”

Jason reached up to touch his ear instinctively. “Thanks, Miss Reinmann. Have a good walk.”

She began down the hallway, yelling out, “It’s always a good walk, baby!”

Jason chuckled as he entered his apartment, throwing his keys down onto the hallway table. There was a mirror hanging in the hallway, it’d been there since he moved in, and he never really paid any attention to it until now.

He stared at his reflection, trying to remember his father’s face. It was hard since he was barely nine when Willis was taken away. The one thing that stood out to him was Willis’s hazel eyes, opened wide in panic and fear once the cops clicked the cuffs around his wrists.

A sense of pride washed over Jason. He was his father’s son—not an extension like how felt with Bruce—but a legacy of someone with no expectation of him other than to be loved. Willis loved Jason, Jason knew that, and he loved his father in return.

So, as he stared at his face, looking at his father’s as well, Jason liked his appearance for once.

[icouldntthinkofabetternamesook]

my brain made so connections

I'm not sure how pictures work here so this is gonna be formatted goofy but these two polycules/love angles have far to much in common and I need to share

Mel Medarda and Hazel Levesque

beautiful terrifying black women with mommy issues, gold, an association with wealth, prodigious magic powers, artistic pursuits and a distant brother. in a position of power in a system that will always see them as outsiders to some extent. big kindhearted boyfriend. terrible relationship with mother who is in many ways the antagonist of the entire piece and they never get a satisfying conclusion to their relationship(I see Gaea as Hazel's mom in this comparison). deeply and seriously underserved by a narrative that treats getting magic powers as the same thing as getting character development. I once again cannot overstate the shared connection to gold and wealth, especially gold. in many ways responsible for the events of the series but she did it for her mother's love so I can't blame her. Mels love of painting and Hazels love of drawing. A deep, loving, if damaged heart. if they came from anywhere near the same social strata they would be the same character

these two characters are defiantly cross universe variants of each other and their massive similarities kicked off this entire thought process

Viktor and Leo Valdez

scrappy, messy inventors with low self esteem, resurrections, a weird thing going on with a magical entity, and they both die to save the world. in weird sorta love triangle with the above. Leo has that pre arcane Machine herald vibe. they both push people away and are in a self inflicted cycle of loneliness despite being full of love. died for your sins and only got hate and pain in response

Jayce Tales and Frank Zhang

probably the least similar of the polycules. absolute puppies of men, tendencies to fail upwards, get put at the very top of a system of authority of a kinda fascist organization, magic totem of some form, come from some level of legacy in their systems though Frank has far more. most importantly in a weird polycule, love angle with the other two, officially dating the golden girl and has weird thing happening with the resurrected one.

these are both utterly delightful polycules were the boys should go make out so the girl can self actualize

a few more arcane riordan parallels under the cut with more thematic exploration

Caitlyn Kiramman and Reyna Ramirez-Arellano

queer woman of color who got pulled into the facism despite their good intentions

Vi and Piper McClean

a bit of a stretch, but messy haired lesbians in conflict with a lot of the existing order and pressure of family legacy. I kinda have it divided with Piltover=Rome, Zaun=greece. which leads me to another connection. their both very close to the next person on my list

Jinx and Annabeth Chase

now this is definitely a hear me out, but I love my girl geniuses who after a falling out with their family ran into an older male figure who loved them like family but nonetheless was horribly toxic and wound up falling into even through their genuine dedication to their righteous crusade being soured after a falling out with another figure who also acted in a similar capacity to the girl they took in and the story ends with the little girl standing over their corpse they are various levels of responsible for after choose their devotion to another over their toxic semi parental love who spends their last breaths reaffirming their relationship and ultimately winning a more centrist version of their cause after death. I just love when little girls wind up alone, and desperate to prove themselves because the system cares about them as weapons over children to be protected.

Silco and Luke Castellan

was right. bitchin scars. fallen hero figures who care deeply for the people they sent out to protect but ultimately became what they feared most and got corrupted by power. leftist hero's in a centrist narrative. this does not change the immense harm they did specifically to the young girl in their care they have weird semi sexual/romantic subtext with despite ultimately having a familial bond. they also have an antagonist relationship with

Ekko and Percy Jackson

the boy savior, far to much on their shoulders to early, leaders in their community, truly look out for the people, will spit in authorities eye but is also pretty close to some specific people in power, in love with the victim/adopted family of the villain/fallen hero. the one who breaks the cycle and saves the day

I managed to get most of the Arcane characters and the tip of the ice berg for riordan. this obviously has Thalia as Vander in the Luke/Silco, Annabeth/Jinx trio, as well as an association with wolves and dying in a heroic sacrifice to protect a little girl in their charge and ultimately coming back from the dead after being saved against their will. I think Vi might actually be the closest to Jason in this dynamic, especially after making Reyna/Caitlyn, but they don't have that much more in common. serious complexes about being what others need and a lack of internal stability? amnesia if you take vi's old league lore into account? I still prefer Piper I think they have more similar vibes and I'm trying to make the camps and city's line up

this also has Gaea as Ambessa and Calypso as Hexcore Sky. no one really lines up with singed or Sevika and no one lines up with Nico. Sevika works as Clarisse, as in utterly amazing butches

this might all just be similar tropes lining up in similar ways but I kinda like it

[pixelblooming]

babypalooza

first / previous / next

[matchalovertrait]

The Diced Junior judges are here... 🔪

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

Previous | Next

[Day 3 arrived... and with more attendees than were initially expected.]

[People stood outside with anticipation.]

"Oh I can't wait"; "Will she notice me?"; "Good thing I skipped class today"; "Maybe it's just a rumor"

"THEY'RE HERE!!!"

"SOFIA!!"; "CARLO!!" "MIA!!"

"OVER HERE!", "SOFIA, WHEN'S THE NEW ALBUM COMING OUT?"; "ARE YOU HERE TO TESTIFY AGAINST OR FOR DULCE ALEGRIA?"; "IS CARUSO COOKED?"

SOFIA: It’s always a blast in Del Sol Valley!

MIA: Just smile and wave.

CARLO: My signature smoulder is all they need.

There's something in the air in Hollywood I've lost my reputation, bad and good You're riding in your car in in Hollywood You got the top down and it feels so good Music stations always play the same song I'm bored with the concept of right and wrong Everybody comes to Hollywood They wanna make it in the neighborhood They like the smell of it in Hollywood How could it hurt you when it looks so good?

[i-am-trying-my-best-okay]

Some Gravity Falls Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony Headcanons Because I'm Feeling Crazy

YEAR 1965

"McGucket, Fiddleford!": The hat briefly contemplated Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, before ultimately landing on "Ravenclaw!" It knew he'd thrive better there, be able to properly nurture his interests in combining machinery and magic.

"Pines, Stanford!": It was a struggle for the hat to decide between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. He had the bottomless curiosity and desire to learn as a Ravenclaw, but the ambition and the willingness to go far as a Slytherin. But, what helped the hat, was the fact that Ford kept asking it questions the entire time. Like "would you consider yourself an individual" and "do you remember your time before sentiance" and so on and so forth. His continuous and unyielding questions were what put him in "Ravenclaw!"

"Pines, Stanley!": The hat also struggled with him; it was deciding between Hufflepuff or Griffyndor. Though it was also considering Slytherin, for Stanley's potential to lie and keep secrets. It asked Stanley about what house he wanted, and Stanley was just like "In Ravenclaw with my brother :D", which was the one house that didn't fit him. He was creative, what with his storytelling, but the hat thought his brand of creativity leaned more towards Slytherin than anything due to Stanley being willing to use it for his gain rather than for the sake of creativity. But Stanley was adamant about it, wanting to stick with his brother, and this more Hufflepuff like action is what made the hat put him in "Hufflepuff!" Stanley, upset about being separated from Ford, declared to the room that the hat was a dirty con before going to the Hufflepuff table, which didn't really make him popular among his house. (This only contributed with Stanley's image of being the "lesser twin" since Hufflepuff's reputation of being the "lesser house", when really Stanley had the potential to be in several houses and held several traits that would be seen as more "valuable" within their society)

YEAR 2001

"Ramirez, Jesus!": The hat took a single glance at Soos' mind, with Soos just being like "oh hey a talking hat; what's up", and was just immediately like "Hufflepuff!"

YEAR 2008

"Corduroy, Wendy!": The hat barely touched her head before announcing "Griffyndor!" She outwardly appeared completely nonchalant and chill about it, but on the inside was very relieved since her entire family was in Griffyndor and didn't know what would happen if she wasn't.

YEAR 2010

"Northwest, Pacifica!": Her whole family has been in Slytherin, a whole legacy. So imagine her annoyance when the hat didn't immediately put her there. The hat does see Slytherin traits, but it also sees a potential to stand up for others when needed, the ability to stand firm in her beliefs in what she thinks is right, making it consider Griffyndor. Pacifica is furious at this consideration, basically threatening to sue the hat. The hat took this as her choosing "Slytherin!"

"Pines, Mabel!": Girl just skips on up there, and the hat is blown away by her imaginative and chaotic mind; the hat has to do a whole reboot before continuing. It considers Ravenclaw for her creativity, honestly a bit intimidated at the potential for it, but her beliefs and what she values more so aligned with, "Hufflepuff!"

"Pines, Mason!": So Dipper walks up there and Mabel just screeches from the Hufflepuff table, "HIS NAME IS DIPPER ACTUALLY" which he is both thankful for and hates. The instant the hat is placed on his head, the hat was contemplating between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, but then Dipper started asking the hat questions, reminding the hat distinctly of his great uncle. However, the tone of the questions were a bit different; while Ford treated the hat like an entity he wanted to study, Dipper was treating this like an interrogation. He didn't so much want to know about the hat as he wanted to know the situation around him gaining sentience. But like Ford, Dipper's questioning nature was what made the hat determine, "Ravenclaw!"

YEAR 2013

"Gleeful, Gideon!": He doesn't really want to be in Slytherin since it clashes with the image he wants to portray, and he lets the hat know that immediately. However, that's a very Slytherin thing, and the hat tells him that. Gideon gets pissed at that, and tries to go for Gryffindor, but the hat says he doesn't fit that. Really, Gideon fit into Slytherin perfectly, which caused the two of them to kind of do a mental back and forth for like ten minutes, which just made everyone think Gideon was just difficult to place, when really Gideon just didn't have the traits the could allow him to choose more than one house. The hat was just like "being in Slytherin doesn't mean you're evil it's just a stereotype" and Gideon being like "Okay but I am and I don't want that reputation". Though Gideon didn't like it, the hat went ahead and placed him in, "Slytherin!"

[jc-martin-og]

Mystery Shack’s Power Couple: Mr. & Mrs. Ramírez! 🛠️💕🥰

While I try to balance my professional life with my artistic hobbies, I felt like making another little character cards in the meantime with these 2 mystery dorks! (≧◡≦)

Adapting them into the crossover's style was a bit of a challenge, blending their original, more cartoonish designs with a style that fit their older, more developed selves but without changing much.

At 40 years old, Soos is still the proud owner of the Mystery Shack since its legacy was passed down to him. Whether he’s hyping up tourists with one of his signature attractions, repairing the Shack with Mabel (his ever-enthusiastic second-in-command), or just being his usual lovable self, Soos keeps Gravity Falls’ strangest landmark thriving. Over the years, he’s expanded, improved, and made it even weirder—just the way he likes it. For his design, I wanted to mix elements of his classic look with his Shack owner outfit while adding a handyman vibe that reflects his hard work, keeping the place running.

As for his lovely wife, Melody moved to Gravity Falls in the late 2010s, and in true Ramirez fashion, she and Soos accidentally proposed to each other on their 8th anniversary. So, of course, they tied the knot in 2020! Since then, they’ve built a happy life together in Soos’ late grandmother’s house, where Melody has become a pillar of warmth, humour, and support. While she occasionally helps out at the Shack, she mostly keeps things running smoothly at home, and she’s grown so close to Mabel that she practically considers her an honorary little sister. For her design, I aimed for a warm, "wifey" aesthetic. Something that still felt like her but with a slightly more mature, yet friendly and inviting aura.

And while life at the Shack is as chaotic as ever with this ongoing crisis, Melody seems to be keeping something to herself lately. But with everything going on, maybe now just isn’t the right time to bring it up…

Stay tuned for more on the crossover future of Gravity Falls!

(👍ᵔ▽ᵔ)👍✨

[allthedamnlove]

AQUAMARINE // A RAFE CAMERON X SOFIA FANFICTION

Description:

"The first thing my eyes caught on about him was his eyes. They were blue. No, not blue, Aquamarine."

Sofia Ramirez has way too much on her plate. A former ballerina whose pointe shoes have been worn down and battered in vain; a burnt-out twenty-one-year-old who wants to glide her old paint brushes to create something, but life grabbed her by her wrists to clean tables at the local country club. A Pogue whose dreams are too huge to fathom, yet her dreams are only that. Just dreams that float around her mind since her body is nailed to help her family from poverty in any way she can.

And now, her heart got thrown around because of a boy.

No, not just any boy. By Rafe Cameron.

Rafe Cameron carries too much for his age. A Kook with too much baggage and trauma stemming from his birth and his demons under his bed clawing their way every day to taunt him as he heavily takes a breath; he is, one way or another, tired. He has been endowed with a lot. It is too much that all he is known for is his reputation. Not only his but his whole bloodline. He is the apple that didn't fall from the tree. And he doesn't know if he likes it or not.

Sometimes, it feels like all that is there in life for him is his hands, cleaning the blood of his own mistakes, or his dad's legacy. So, he wants to create his own dynasty. And then, And then, he encounters something endangered in his life. A chance at unfettered, unadulterated affection in the form of Sofia Ramirez. So, what happens then?

Can a boy with too many vices fall in love with a girl with too much love to give?

This is the story of a psycho and the love of his life.

A RAFE CAMERON X SOFIA \\ OBX FANFICTION.

Aesthetics I Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3 (Part 1)

Chapter 3 Part 2

Available on Wattpad, Ao3, and Tumblr.

[makgeolii]

[72crowe89]

Is Sam Wilson a Magical Negro?: How Sam's Captain America deserved better

(Naturally, spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World)

First, to get it out there, I actually liked Brave New World. I really like it. There were great performances by Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Carl Lumbly, Giancarlo Esposito, and Danny Ramirez. The action was amazing, and they actually use this movie to address some loose ends from other movies (The big hand and head left sticking out of the Earth at the end of Eternals? They finally address it in this movie.). I was surprised when I discovered that the movie wasn't resonating with people as I thought it would be, and in trying to piece together why that might be, I came to a surprising realization:

Sam isn't the main character of Brave New World: Thaddeus Ross is.

As President of the United States, Ross is trying to prove to the world, but especially his daughter Betty, that he isn't the hotheaded guy from the previous movies who would bulldoze his way through any issue he doesn't understand or agree with, but someone who will work together with others to come up with solutions that benefit everyone. When the aforementioned big head and hand (named Celestial Island) is revealed to contain adamantium (the metal's official introduction in the MCU), he works with other nations to share it, and when he asks Sam to restart the Avengers, he tells them that they would work through any disagreements together.

Ross, however, still struggles with with his anger and especially his ends-justify-the-means attitude. When the United States is accused of stealing adamantium, he responds angrily and immediately sends military to Celestial Island (escalating the tensions between the USA and the other nations). Throughout the movie, as things start spinning out of his control, he gets more angry, stressed, and desperate, which plays right into the villain's hands.

Who is the villain? None other than Dr. Samuel Sterns as his comic book identity, The Leader. Don't remember him? Well, he's the scientist who created the Abomination back in The Incredible Hulk (2008). Because Brave New World is more of a sequel to that movie than it is to any of the previous Captain America or even The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Sterns was made the scapegoat for the Abomination's atrocities, but Ross promises him amnesty if he helped the latter win the presidency. When Ross develops a potentially fatal heart problem (one which could kill him before he has the chance to redeem himself), he doesn't release Sterns like he promised because he needs Sterns to keep him alive. Because of this, Sterns goes out of his way to destroy Ross's legacy, both indirectly (ruining the international accords that he's fighting to bring about) and directly (poisoning him with Gamma radiation to turn him into a monster).

This all culminates into Ross's transformation into the Red Hulk, the physical manifestation of his rage and aggression, the very things he is trying to manage for the sake of his daughter, for the sake of the world. To break free from the Red Hulk's control, he has to confront the anger that has been intrinsic to him for the entire MCU. His journey ends with acknowledging that rage and aggression, accepting that he can change physically and emotionally into a better person, and working to do so with great sacrifice to his own aspirations.

Now, where does Sam fit in all of this? Sam initially gets involved because Isaiah Bradley is remotely controlled to attack Ross, and Sam investigates to exonerate him. That plotline ends pretty quickly once it's really that Isaiah is just a pawn in Sterns's quest to discredit Ross. Sam's plot then becomes stopping a war between the USA and Japan and bringing Ross out of the Red Hulk's control. Although both are important for global security in a general sense, in a specific sense Sam is protecting Ross's legacy and striving to show the latter that he can be the man he wants to be. And here lies the main issue with the movie:

In his own solo movie, Sam's character is in complete service to Ross's.

This would be bad enough, but the fact that Sam, a Black man who is already burdened with being a legacy character for a White man, has his entire story revolve around the character development of another White man, is a bitter pill to swallow. Sam barely has a storyline of his own; there's not much of a personal journey he's going through, most of his personal interactions are surface level (some of which require watching the Falcon and the Winter Soldier to even understand), and there's very little exploration of him as Captain America. Sam could have been replaced with any other hero, and the movie would pretty much be the same.

It bring to mind the magical negro stereotype, where a Black character exist solely to motivate the White protagonists, whether through their wisdom or their plight. They have no storyline, relationships, or even personality outside of this role, making said magical negro less of a character and more of a plot device to push the story of the main, usually White characters.

Now, Sam is a better developed character than the stereotypical magical negro with both a decent personality and good relationships (especially his mentorship of Joaquin Torres in this movie and, even with its lack of focus, his own mentorship with Isaiah Bradley). He also has his own struggles with feeling inadequate as the inheritor of the Captain America, explored thoroughly in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and briefly in a poignant scene with Bucky in this movie.

But briefness is the tale of the day with Sam in this movie. Sam's job in this movie is to facilitate Ross's story, not have one of his own.

The sad thing is that if people complain about Captain America: Brave New World, Disney will blame it on having Sam be Captain America in the first place. That people were so used to Steve being Captain America that they just can't accept a non-Steve Cap, so Sam shouldn't be Cap at all.

But Sam is a great Captain America. He is one of the few heroes in the MCU who doesn't have superpowers, high intelligence, highly specialized training, or a combination of the three. In spite of that, he stands side-by-side with those heroes with skills that any real-life soldier with his training can. Those are the aspects that the movie should have leaned into to make a movie about Sam.

At the end of the movie, Joaquin says that Steve is who he looks up to, but Sam is who he aspires to be. They could have made the entire movie about how Sam being Captain America shows that anybody can be Captain America in a way that blonde-haired, blue-eyed Steve couldn't. Earlier drafts of the movie had Amadeus Cho and Eli Bradley as characters; they could have shown how Sam inspired them in different ways to be heroes.

Alternately, Isaiah's manipulation and attack could have been used to discredit Sam himself rather than Ross, that every Captain America/Super Soldier after Steve (Isaiah, Bucky, John Walker) has been a menace, and Sam will end up the same way. Then Sam would be fighting for his own legacy, not Ross's.

Alternately, they could have adapted one of Sam's stories from the comics and made a movie about that. And even if they didn't want to do one of Sam's stories (a lot of his stories as Falcon and Captain America deal with racism), there are nearly 90 years of Captain America stories that the can pull from. Just replace Steve with Sam. And if they are uncomfortable with that, make an original story that focuses on Sam.

Sam should be the main character of his own story.