Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — Marvel fans were recently delighted to see a Filipino character in the series finale of its Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
In the series finale, Ayla Perez, a Filipino diplomat on the Global Repatriation Council with a background in the Philippine Air Force, helped the new Captain America (played by Anthony Mackie a.k.a. Sam Wilson) save the day by piloting the chopper previously controlled by terrorist group Flag-Smashers.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ New Day on Monday, Fil-Am actress Jane Rumbaua, who played Perez, shared how she landed the role.
“I auditioned for it. I got an audition request from my agent, I submitted a self-tape and about one week later, I received a call that I booked it. I’m screaming,” she said.
“I work out a lot, I used to be a gymnast. That scene [on the chopper took us] probably a week,” Rumbaua added.
Rumbaua was also seen in some TV shows such as “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and “MacGyver,” as well as the movie “Fantastic Four.” She even directed a short film called “Spotlight,” where she had won Best Director.
The Fil-Am actress said she was grateful to have played an important role representing Filipinos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“I am so honored that Marvel gave me the opportunity to play a strong, smart female character from the Philippines where I was born. It’s been such an honor,” Rumbaua said.
Fans from Asia lauded “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” for several unexpected Asian representation featured in some parts of the show. It introduced Madripoor, a fictional island nation in the Indonesian archipelago, which displayed Southeast Asian aesthetics.
The credits scene of the first episode also showed a Filipino line “Isang Mundo, Isang Tao” which translates to “One World, One People.” The show’s third episode also briefly featured Filipino rapper Shanti Dope’s song Amatz.
