Dir: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo. Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Regé-Jean Page, Julia Butters, Dhanush. 15, 120 minutes.
Why have all of Anthony and Joe Russo’s post-Marvel movies felt so apologetic? Their work on two of the Captain America films, plus Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, helped shape a franchise so culturally pervasive that it’s become near-impossible to separate Robert Downey Jr from Iron Man or Chris Hemsworth from Thor. It seems the directors now feel like they owe their actors some kind of escape plan – an out from all that spandex-lined baggage. Did watching Tom Holland in their 2021 film Cherry, where he played a PTSD-afflicted, drug addict veteran, shake off our association with Spider-Man? Not really, but the attempt was made. And what about Chris Evans, our former Captain America, sporting a cop moustache and a murderous temper in The Gray Man? Nope!
