Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Whereas Captain America: The First Avenger was an appropriate throwback to World War II-era pulp and adventure stories, its sequel picks up after the events of The Avengers, with Cap still looking to find a new place in the modern world. Before long, he finds that S.H.I.E.L.D. may not be the force for good that he once thought it was. On the run with help from Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, Cap must sift through the lies and uncover the dark secret lurking in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s past, even as he and his friends are hunted by a relentless assassin known as The Winter Soldier. At its heart, this superhero sequel is actually closer to a political thriller than anything else, and directors Joe and Anthony Russo bring more dramatic heft to the MCU than ever before. Thankfully, the filmmakers are returning to helm Captain America: Civil War this year as well as the two-part Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and 2019.

What’s your favorite film based on Marvel Comics? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.