10 Potentially Awful 2014 Movies That Turned Out Great

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Why it could have been awful: The solo cinematic outings for the Avengers have been hit and miss, to say the least, and many agree that for Captain America the results in The First Avenger were closer to the average-at-best Thor movies than Iron Man at his finest. His first outing felt like a by-the-numbers affair, while his character wasn't anywhere near as enjoyable to watch as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Why it's great: Surpassing all expectations, Captain America: The Winter Soldier turned out to be one of the best comic book adaptations in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. The character of Captain America himself felt so much more rounded than his first outing, with a degree of wit previously lacking which injected a much-needed dose of personality. The action set pieces and the solid, twisting plot were also considerable improvements over The First Avenger, reminding that sequels can sometimes beat their predecessors.