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The 10 Longest Superhero Movies Ranked By Their Runtime

We have seen movies doing good business at the box office and sometimes they are also declared as box office bombs. Apart from the performances and storyline, the running time also plays an important part in the overall result of the movie. Sometimes the running time becomes a disadvantage if it is not used properly and instead makes the audience sleep in certain moments. Just like that, there are a few superhero movies that have the longest runtime in their respective franchises. A few of them worked at the box office and the others did not. Let’s look at the Longest Superhero Movies. This list goes from shorter to Longer.

1. Captain America: Civil War (2016) – 147 minutes

Captain America: Civil War was MCU’s first movie that almost came close to 150 minutes running time. The film follows the clash between the team of Captain America and Iron Man along with the introduction of Sokovia Accords. Steve Rogers disagrees with to sign since the Accords would consider them as criminals. Tony agrees to sign since he was responsible for the creation of Ultron and the destruction of Sokovia. The film is still considered the best for many reasons and this includes the introduction of Black Panther and Spider-Man’s MCU debut.

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 149 minutes

Among all the Avengers films, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War was the first film to break the box office records. The major reason was that almost all the MCU characters came together in one film and that’s what pulled the audience to the theaters. This also included the Guardians of the Galaxy and it was revealed a long time ago that Thanos was Gamora’s father. The Avengers team up in this film to stop Thanos from getting his hand on all the six Infinity Stones and wiping out half of the universe.

3. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) – 151 minutes

Longest Superhero Movies

The box office collections were a bit less in 2020 in comparison to the other years. The reason was the Covid-19 pandemic. But Wonder Woman 1984 was one such movie that was released despite they knew that it would turn out to be a box office failure. The film features a 30-minute prologue at Themyscira and then turns back to the story of Wonder Woman set in the 80s. But the film’s runtime was criticized by the audience as well as the critics. Apart from that, the film’s villains and the storyline were loved by the audience.

4. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – 152 minutes

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was released with high expectations. But the film was criticized for many reasons. One thing that disappointed the audience was the runtime that was not used properly to bring something exciting and thrilling for the audience. The director’s cut, which was released later and included 30 minutes of extra footage received a more positive response. It was later reported that those 30 minutes were removed by Warner Bros. for unknown reasons. Many believed that the film would have worked well if the director’s cut was released in the theaters.

5. The Dark Knight (2008) – 152 minutes

The Dark Knight trilogy is a franchise that is remembered for its flawless storytelling. One of the films was The Dark Knight. There was no doubt that the film would work since it was being directed by the genius Christopher Nolan. The intricate plot and long action sequences are the two most common things in Christopher Nolan’s movies. There is not a single moment where you might get bored. The film had a runtime of 152 minutes, but you will be satisfied with everything you have seen when the movie ends. The best part about the film was Heath Ledger playing the role of Joker which was appreciated by the critics as well as audiences.

6. Superman Returns (2006) – 154 minutes

Bryan Singer is one of those directors who tried his luck in Marvel as well as DC movies. Singer was hired as the director of Superman Returns in 2006. It was a homage sequel to Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) and ignored the events of the other two parts. The film has a runtime of 154 minutes but the one major thing that was falling short was the action sequences. There were fewer number action sequences in comparison to other Superman films. Warner Bros. was not happy with the box office returns although it earned $400 million worldwide and a planned sequel was canceled.

7. Watchmen (2009) – 163 minutes

Longest Superhero Movies

Before Zack Snyder started his journey on the DCEU, he tried his luck on another superhero movie, Watchmen. The film was released in 2009. It was based on the 1986-1987 DC Comics series Watchmen. But even this one had some similar type of problems like Superman Returns. Zack Snyder was criticized for making a film that was falling short of the subtlety and the wit of the comic. A director’s cut was released later with 24 minutes of extra footage and received more positive reviews in comparison to the theatrical version.

8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – 165 minutes

The runtime of The Dark Knight Rises was a bit more than the previous two films of The Dark Knight trilogy. But the runtime was used to bring the best sequences for the audience because of which the runtime was not a reason for criticism for the audience. Another thing that pulled the audience to the theater was the villain Bane played by Tom Hardy. The movie paid homage to the previous movies with appearances by Scarecrow and Ra’s al Ghul. It also explained the origins of Bane and Thalia.

9. Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 181 minutes

Avengers: Endgame was MCU’s one movie that touched the mark of 3 hours of runtime. Somewhere this was also necessary since the movie was concluding its 23 films story arc after 11 years. So it was important to give each character a satisfying conclusion. Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff died in the movie and Steve Rogers retired from the superhero business. Despite being so long, there is not a single moment that would make you feel bored or leave the theater. The final battle and the characters returning to their own lives were covered in the last one hour of the film and both the portions were divided to 30 minutes each.

10. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) – 242 minutes

2017’s Justice League was criticized for many reasons. After that, there was an appr demand to release the Zack Snyder cut. The Snyder Cut’s release was confirmed to be impossible in the beginning but it was later confirmed by Warner Bros. When the film was released, it was four hours long. The major reason was that newly shot footage along with the deleted footage was included in the film. Well, it is not possible to watch a four-hour-long film in one go. But it has been made in such a way that you will not pause the movie for one second. The movie was split into chapters of 30 to 45 minutes that made it easier for the audience to cover up the four-hour runtime of the film.

Which of these Longest Superhero Movies is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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Anupal Sraban Neog

Born and grew up in Guwahati, Assam. Wish to see a discrimination free India at some point. Love to travel and explore new places. Binge watching web series is my favorite time pass activity. A Cinephilia and an ardent follower of Marvel and DC.
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