Have we reached peak superhero yet? After spending the winter months watching "Jessica Jones" and "Daredevil" on Netflix, viewers can now subject themselves to a barrage of comic-book spectacle at their local multiplex. Following last month's clattering, messy "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" comes "Captain America: Civil War," an even more elaborately conceived clash between costumed ubermenschen.
As if that wasn't enough, "X-Men: Apocalypse" is due for international release in just a few weeks' time — well, everywhere except for Japan, which doesn't get the film until August. On reflection, that might not be such a bad thing. A little of this stuff goes a long way.
Sitting through the wearying "Avengers: Age of Ultron" last year, it wasn't hard to envisage the current crop of superhero franchises reaching a stalemate, where the interests of hardcore fans and casual viewers became impossible to reconcile. You shouldn't need to do homework to enjoy a popcorn flick, but that's what the Marvel cinematic universe — which includes the "Avengers" and "Captain America" movies — increasingly requires.