The Marvels director explains why short runtime is “right for the movie”

❘ Published: 2023-11-06T12:38:25

Kamala, Carol, and Monica on The Marvels poster.

Disney/Marvel

The Marvels is the shortest movie in the history of the MCU, and ahead of the film’s release, director Nia DaCosta has explained why.

The Marvels caused something of a stir when the movie’s runtime was announced, revealed to be one hour and 45 minutes – making it the shortest film in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For comparison, 2023 release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 clocked in at two hours and 29 minutes. While the longest movie in the series – Avengers: Endgame – lasted for a posterior-numbing three hours and two minutes.

With her movie releasing this week, director and co-writer Nia DaCosta has spoken about how and why she kept it down to 105-minutes.

The Marvels director explains why short runtime is “right for the movie”

“I really wanted it to be under two hours,” Nia DaCosta tells Digital Spy of The Marvels length. “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.”

DaCosta continues: “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.”

That runtime might be also down to characters and storylines being introduced in other movies and shows – most notably Captain Marvel, WandaVision, and Ms. Marvel – meaning The Marvels doesn’t have to establish much, and can get on with telling its own story.

The official synopsis reads: “Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe.

“When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau.”