How long is Black Panther 2? Wakanda Forever runtime explained

❘ Published: 2023-09-18T21:49:19

Disney/Marvel

Black Panther 2 is the longest movie in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – so, how does its runtime compare to other Marvel movies, and why is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever so long?

Marvel loves a long movie. The studio has only released four movies than run for less than two hours – The Incredible Hulk (112-minutes), Thor: The Dark World (112-minutes), Ant-Man and the Wasp (118-minutes) and Thor: Love and Thunder (119-minutes).

The studio’s longest release, meanwhile, is Avengers: Endgame, which clocks in at over three hours thanks to a whopping 181-minute run-time.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is somewhere between those two extremes, and here we explain how and why.

How long is Black Panther 2?

Black Panther 2 has a runtime of 161 minutes. That makes it one of the longest movies in the history of the MCU. It’s also the longest film in Phase 5 of the cinematic universe, which clocks in from shortest to longest as follows…

Thor: Love and Thunder (119 minutes)
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (125 minutes)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (126 minutes)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Three Rings (132 minutes)
Black Widow (134 minutes)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (148 minutes)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (149 minutes)
Eternals (157 minutes)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (161 minutes)

Those 161 minutes include credits, as well as an emotionally-charged mid-credit scene. However, unlike most of the above movies, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn’t feature a post-credit sting.

Why is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever so long?

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is so long because there’s lots of story to tell and characters to introduce. The tragic death of Chadwick Boseman in real-life meant plans for the movie were changed. A new Black Panther therefore had to be introduced, while the movie now begins with T’Challa’s funeral, events that wouldn’t have been part of the plan when Black Panther 2 was first envisioned.

The sequel also introduces two new characters. There’s Riri Williams – aka Ironaheart – a genius teen who has built her own mech suit, and teams up with the Wakandans when her life is at risk. You can read more about Riri here.

Then there’s Namor, the film’s villain, though he’s really more of an anti-hero. As played by Tenoch Huerta, he’s the film’s most compelling character, but he also gets a lengthy back-story which pads out the film’s run-time. Here’s everything you need to know about Namor here.

Everett Ross also features in multiple scenes, though as we stated in our Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review, they feel pretty extraneous – in service to the larger MCU rather than Black Panther 2 – so could have been cut to get that butt-numbing run-time down.

You can check out more of our Black Panther 2 coverage below: