PHOTO BY ELI ADÉ / MARVEL

The lie in the title “Captain America: Brave New World” can be found in the fourth word. There’s nothing new about this chapter.

In fact, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — this year’s opening salvo from the megafranchise and the first chapter since last summer’s entertaining “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” — hearkens back to some almost completely forgotten properties. “Brave New World” functions as a sequel of sorts to the series “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” during which Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) assumed the Captain America title.

That series is not the most fondly remembered small-screen Marvel adventures, easily eclipsed by more daring titles “WandaVision” and “Loki.” And yet “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is far from the oldest, or most coolly received, prerequisite for following “Brave New World.” Several characters and plotlines are picked up from 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,” just the second of the MCU’s 35 films to date — one so thoroughly retconned that its star, Edward Norton, was winked out of existence, replaced in the series by Mark Ruffalo.

Ruffalo isn’t in this chapter, but lesser characters from the story are, including Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who begins “Brave New World” as the new President of the United States. (This bid at timeliness occasionally happens upon something that could be considered political commentary, muddled though it is.) Ross is played here by Harrison Ford, taking over for the late William Hurt; why Ford decided to get involved is anyone’s guess, but we can assume it involved a dump truck full of money.

Ross needs Captain America to sell the country on his administration’s ambitions, which include a global weapons treaty. He’s even willing to let Wilson build a new Avengers team, provided that the superheroes will answer to the U.S. government.

Before that thread can unravel, however, there’s a bold attack on the President’s life. Wilson doesn’t believe the official explanation and goes off to investigate the alleged intrigue.

So begins an hour or so of revelations and explanations that fail to entertain. When we finally get down to action, conditions improve, but the road is long; this isn’t an entry that will play well on cable television. (As long as they can keep showing “Black Panther” forever, few will notice.)

Mackie is a strong actor, but his character is hamstrung by the film’s portentous tone. Marvel keeps promising that this chapter or that will reignite the drive the franchise has been lacking since the box-office bonanza of the most recent “Avengers” films, but “Brave New World” is not the film to light that spark.

Not to worry, though; there are two more chapters coming this year. Maybe the Fantastic Four can liven things up.

My Rating: 5/10

“Captain America: Brave New World” is now playing in theaters.