In  film,  however,  there  is  only  a  finite  amount  of  content.  You  can’t  just  watch something  unrelated  to  the  story.  The  film  is  the  story.  Bonus  content  and  features  are  sometimes  packaged  with  films,  but  this  optional  content  is  not  as  big  of  a  component  to  the  film  as  open-world  exploration,  multiplayer, or  arcade  modes  are  to  videogames. Anything over  the  top  than  a  sly  reference  will feel  like  advertising,  as  opposed  to  the  slight  nods  to  the  audience  they’re supposed  to  be.  

The story doesn’t revolve around potential Armageddon (refreshing since most comic book movies have world-ending stakes these days), and we don’t get cameos from other Avengers. We also don’t get the immense creativity seen in the recent MCU TV series WandaVision, which – by the way – was also a better nod to female empowerment than Captain Marvel. But we do get an enjoyable picture that moves like lightning.

“My hope is that the documentary inspires its viewers to reflect on the places and rituals (comic shops and otherwise) that have given them a sense of belonging, as my comic shop did for me,” Desiato said in a statement. And to the extent that the movie prompted me to reflect on my own experiences at a comic shop, it’s successful. The problem is that reflection isn’t necessarily the most engaging response to elicit from a viewer.