It starts, like so many of these things, with the discovery of an ancient artefact with the power to destroy the universe. It ends, like pretty much all of them, with the empty spectacle of a bells, whistles and lasers CGI space battle. And in between, the latest addition to the ever-expanding Marvel universe serves up what seems to be cobbled-together offcuts from previous movies: a tepid message about tested family bonds here, a nod to an internet meme there (kitten-based mischief features prominently).

You get the sense that everyone involved is going through the motions. Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn enunciates in a crisply villainous upper-class British accent but is a little underpowered as a baddie. Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel drops a bombshell halfway through the movie while visiting a planet whose inhabitants communicate with show tunes and jazz hands. But of the cast, it’s only Iman Vellani, as Marvel fangirl turned superhero Kamala Khan, who seems genuinely excited to be in the film.