The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to movies and live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. The next highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, which will bring together a new team of heroes. The Marvels has a surprisingly quick runtime, standing in stark juxtaposition to a number of recent MCU installments. And The Marvels’ director recently explained why it’s the shortest MCU movie of all time.
Those of us who have been watching the Marvel movies in order know that they’ve gotten a bit long in recent years. I’m looking at you Eternals, which was way too long. But The Marvels is the opposite, as it’s a breezy 105 minutes. Nia DaCosta spoke to Digital Spy about the movie’s runtime, and explained she always wanted it to be that short. In her words:
I really wanted it to be under two hours. I always think about the runtime actually, when I go into a film. I just feel like there's no need to have it long if you don't need to, because 1 hour 45 minutes is pretty average for a movie, so we were all really excited.
There you have it. Rather than being decided during the editing process as filming began, it seems DaCosta always wanted her MCU debut to be under two hours long. And it should be fascinating to see how this decision impacts The Marvels’ pacing and tone. Luckily our questions about the project will be answered shortly when it arrives in theaters.
The Marvels trailer definitely showed that the movie has a light tone, partly thanks to the inclusion of characters like Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel. It looks like they’ll be plenty of funny moments throughout the film, allowing The Marvels cast to stretch their comedic muscles when they’re not kicking ass. Later in that same interview, DaCosta spoke about why her movie’s short runtime makes sense for the project. She said:
I just think you do what's right for the movie. I didn't even know about this runtime thing until I think it was reported on. You have to do what's right for the movie.
Looks like Nia DaCosta wasn’t aware she’d be breaking a MCU record with The Marvels when she decided on its shorter runtime. She was just making the type of blockbuster she’d be interested in seeing, one that doesn’t dominate too much time in theaters. We’ll have to wait and see how this ultimately shakes out when the project is released.
All will be revealed when The Marvels hits theaters on November 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
