The movie, while intricately connected to all that's come before (epic imprisonments! adamantium! Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes!), works well enough as a prosaic, vigorous, more-stand-alone-than-not adventure that balances shield-bashing,

Brave New World is a perfect example of studio math gone wrong. On paper, the 35th MCU entry should be a sure-fire winner. For a little bit of spice, give a dash of heralded character actors Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson.

Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” has been unveiled for members of the press, and the first reactions toward the comic book tentpole are coming in lukewarm. Washington Post entertainment reporter Herb Scribner praised “Brave New World” on X, calling it an “Absolute blast. All-in on the story. It just checked so many boxes for …