“This isn’t an instruction manual for the current president,” he said. “It’s simply a story about a group of people in tight suits who can fly, as part of the wonderful imagination that the Marvel Cinematic Universe provides. It’s primarily an escape from reality.”

The reality of “Brave New World” is that it’s a setup film, which is a thankless task. It’s meant to build to the reassembly of the Avengers and the subsequent release of “Avengers: Doomsday” in 2026. In the interim, Marvel Studios will release films and series setting up their return.

In his first big-screen appearance as Captain America, Anthony Mackie is trapped in an incomprehensible mess designed to tie up loose ends.