Superman's Official Runtime Confirmed By Writer-Director James Gunn

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Warner Bros. has been on the uptick lately with "A Minecraft Movie," "Final Destination: Bloodlines," and "Sinners" all being considerable hits. It stands to reason they would want "Superman" to follow suit, as it's burdened by the weight of expectations in a lot of different departments. James Gunn is pulling triple duty here as the film's writer, director, and the co-CEO of the newly rebranded DC Studios with Peter Safran. The Man of Steel's re-emergence in the public eye is being touted as the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean from the previous lineup of DCEU films and come out swinging.

It's unclear whether this will be the smash hit sensation they're hoping for, but everything we've seen from "Superman" indicates that Gunn might pull off yet another miracle. The film looks like it's not afraid to embrace some of Superman's sillier elements, while still presenting a story that challenges the beloved superhero every step of the way. David Corenswet is perhaps the biggest vote of confidence, as what little we've seen of him indicates he more than understands the kind, warm-hearted nature of Clark Kent. That striking shot of Superman rescuing a child from an explosion in the trailer, coupled with his passion in his voice for ending a violent conflict, has more than sold me on him in the role.

What makes Corenswet's Superman debut feel different from the rest is that this version of the character is already living within a world occupied by heroes like Guy Gardner's Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi). Gunn has assured that its ensemble won't detract from the focus of Superman's story, yet folks have wondered how he's going to fit so much worldbuilding in one movie without making it feel overstuffed. It helps to have an idea of the runtime, and we officially now have one.

Superman's runtime is one the shortest for a debut actor playing the Man of Steel

In response to a question posed on Threads, Gunn confirmed that "Superman" will clock in at 2 hours and 9 minutes. This includes both the film's end credits, as well as whatever post credit scenes are included. Rumors had circulated claiming that Warner Bros. requested Gunn to trim the film down to a shorter runtime, and one Threads user decided to outright ask Gunn about that, which he was thankfully quick to shut down. "Zero truth to that. And they couldn't even if that's something that they wanted to. It's a DC Studios film," asserts Gunn.

The validity of runtimes mean very little in isolation, as it truly depends on what the film needs to accomplish its goals. What we can do, however, is compare and contrast it with the other theatrically released films starring the Man of Steel. It's notable that the "Superman" films featuring an actor's debut in the role typically tend to feature a lengthy runtime — albeit with one exception.

The theatrical cut of 1978's "Superman: The Movie" saw Christopher Reeve step into the DC limelight at 2 hours and 23 minutes, which just so happens to be the exact same runtime as Henry Cavill's DCEU debut in 2013's "Man of Steel." Brandon Routh's recasting of Reeve's version of the character in 2006's "Superman Returns" comes in the longest with 2 hours and 34 minutes. Corenswet would have the shortest debut if not for George Reeves. 1951's "Superman and the Mole Men" not only preceded the famous television show to become the first theatrically released "Superman" movie, but it also clocks in at an astoundingly short 58 minutes.

Taken within the wide spectrum of "Superman" movies, the runtime of Gunn's film fits squarely in the middle of Richard Lester's "Superman II" and the theatrical cut of "Superman: The Movie." Time will tell if the Man of Steel can rejuvenate audiences' enthusiasm in the idea of yet another DC cinematic universe, but all signs point to a strong possibility, especially with Craig Gillespie's "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" set for release next summer.

"Superman" is set to hit theaters nationwide on July 11, 2025.