The cinematic universe of superheroes may be restored. I kept my expectations neutral leading up to Captain America: Brave New World. The moving parts of the franchise and lots of questions about the storylines and what might happen with the characters kept swirling in my head prior to the screening I attended.  I am pleased to report, it is astonishing! It marks a new beginning after many events from the recent films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one brings in key elements that audiences will be surprised by.

Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) is the new one to fill the shoes as Captain America. This film creates the storyline which sets up a new direction. Sam is training Joaquin Torres (played by Danny Ramirez) to be like him. The doors to new beginnings continue to evolve. The President is Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford), but it’s not clear if he on the good or bad side. His daughter is Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler). There is a new conspiracy in the arena of international safety in Captain America: Brave New World. For its hero, the support is from Isaiah Bradley (played by Carl Lumbly). The film’s setup of characters who have seen new worlds and are now trying to fix the next big threat weaves in various directions in a multitude of ways.

The film does a stellar job of creating the foundation for its audience to think back to the year 2008. That was the year of The Incredible Hulk, and the last time Tyler was part of the franchise. Hulk is one of the superheroes that does not have a variety of his own separate titles (like most other Marvel heroes). However, the approach of writing in a way that causes the audience to think back keeps the pacing steady and provides hope for a later universe. The opening of doors in Captain America: Brave New World offers an intriguing combination which keeps the audience captivated.

The villains in this film truly deserve some emphasis and attention, because the film spirals with them. They are tied together. The big ones are Sidewinder (played by Giancarlo Esposito) and Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson). They know that Sam and Thaddeus are on the brink of teaming up for a variety of reasons. The film is able to keep a steady pace of blindsiding. The ultimate question in Captain America: Brave New World is which side seems to have more trust? The movie is extravagant in its direction and has a solid foundational approach. The battle between good and the bad in Captain America: Brave New World takes the film to a whole different level. It utilizes the tactic of keeping its characters in their ownlanes which helps establish a pattern of curiosity. The question of what may happen or go wrong when lines are faded adds plenty of excitement for what is in store. Three out of four stars.

My anticipation for The Marvels was so-so, and it didn’t even meet up to those expectations. The introduction is a blur, the film jumps right into the conflicts, and it makes the Marvel cinematic universe feel not so much like part of a movie series, but more like a television series. The introductions and approaches in previous films in the franchise were so much more inviting. The heroes in this installment are also redundant, and there are unexplained universe entanglements. Overall it is one of the most lacking films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far.

The plot of The Marvels links back to Carol Danvers a/k/a Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson). The universe is in a flux and her powers hit a halt because her powers get mixed with two other ladies, Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau (played by Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris). This mixup presents a serious challenge and danger to Carol in her mode as Captain Marvel. With no time to find strategies to mend the powers, the three ladies must work to be heroes together. Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) is also back to assist.

I will give the film credit for how the three ladies interact. Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau have brighter minds and a better sense of how to handle danger, while Kamala is still learning the ropes. The annoyance and frustration among the three could be entertaining and enjoyable at times. But it didn’t make up for the off base and out of focus writing, and the plot of the film unfolding too fast. It is one of the most rushed films I have seen in the Marvel film series. Character development is critical for a Marvel film to be strong. It also requires careful linking back to the previous Marvel films. This film was weak on both accounts.

The plus side of The Marvels is that the film is only an hour and forty-five minutes long—one of the shortest Marvel movies in a long time. It was a relief on some level with how short it was, because the ridiculousness of the film could be hard to bear.

The universe being impacted as the focus of yet another Marvel film storyline is possibly the central problem of The Marvels. They writers really need to come up with some different premises at some point. I’m sure the madness of the COVID pandemic, with the shifting of projects, didn’t help the creative process.

What is next after The Marvels? Who is the new hero will have a following? Where will the universe go? I just hope there is a trend of a storyline that can be found later in the franchise that is not so rushed and quirky like The Marvels. Two out of four stars for The Marvels.