Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
So, like many other people, I went and saw "Captain America: The First Avenger," though I waited a week after it's release since I am allergic to overcrowding and theater-based insanity.
So, as you may judge by the title here, I think the film is good. In fact, I think it was great. More than great – it's a lesson in doing a superhero film right.
We're in an age of remakes, sequels, and one-offs based on existing properties, mostly Superheroes. I hear talk of an "originless" Fantastic Four film, and if you're a fan of DC comics I've seen a lot of direct-to-video films. None of these involve the usual origins stories as their known to their target audience. Many of them don't exactly involve a continuity of much kinds except well-known tropes and character backgrounds.
Years ago DC comics started doing things called "Elseworlds" – books of alternate ideas, histories, pasts, and futures of various characters. These Elseworlds series mixed familiar and unfamiliar elements, and for my money, were often fascinating. Batman as a priest fighting a corrupt theocracy? A sword-and-sorcery Justice League? Sign me up.
I think some of our beloved figures are entering an age of "mild" Elseworlds.