Deadpool & Wolverine is attempting to be an MCU movie unlike any other, but there are some Marvel realities that are just unavoidable — like big explosions, quippy humor, and multiversal hijinks. The upcoming team-up adventure might be subverting Marvel’s classic post-credits scene, but it’s doubling down on another MCU habit — and undoing the progress made by previous Deadpool movies.
Since tickets for Deadpool & Wolverine are now available for purchase, theaters can disclose the new movie is 2 hours and 7 minutes long, making it the longest Deadpool movie of the three. However, it’s still just middle of the road for the MCU, placing it squarely between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2 hours 6 minutes) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2 hours 10 minutes).
This being the longest Deadpool movie makes perfect sense. There’s a whole new universe to deal with. Plus, Wade Wilson is sharing the spotlight with Wolverine, so there’s far more to do. But in comparison with the rest of the MCU, this is a step in the wrong direction. Recent MCU movies have been trending shorter, with The Marvels’ 1-hour 45-minute runtime being the shortest of the entire decade-plus history of the franchise.
In fact, of the Marvel movies released since 2021, the only Marvel movies longer than Deadpool & Wolverine are the ones that were monumental final chapters: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
So while this runtime is a sign of the Deadpool series becoming more ambitious now that it’s folded into the greater MCU, it’s also a sign that Marvel movies are trending longer, allowing the creeping threat of “Marvel bloat” to gain prominence even after The Marvels reset expectations.
We may not be seeing the vast runtimes of 2019-era Marvel, but it might not be too long before the days of 3-hour MCU epics return — whether we like it or not.
