Before 2023, it would have been unthinkable for a Marvel Studios film to flop at the box office. Regardless, The Marvels failed to, well, marvel audiences, earning a bleak $206.1 million worldwide, while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania disappointed the studio with only $476.

Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to kick off officially on Friday, bringing in the latest installment in the "Captain America" saga. Anthony Mackie returns as Sam Wilson and Cap, and he will seemingly have to battle otherworldly threats and political avenues once again in "Captain America: Brave New World."

Brave New World to be a palate cleanser — one that remembers and builds on the events of Marvel’s other recent features. The film does a serviceable job of establishing a new status quo, but it struggles to articulate how this Captain America is different from his predecessor.