Avengers: Doomsday, the highly anticipated next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is about to make history for a surprising reason: its runtime. According to rumors from internal sources, the film premiering on December 18, 2026, will be the longest in the entire franchise, with a projected impressive 3 hours and 45 minutes of screen time. This way, the production breaks a record set seven years ago by Avengers: Endgame, which was 3 hours and 1 minute long.
By bringing back the Russo Brothers to direct and transforming Robert Downey Jr. into the villain Doctor Doom, Avengers: Doomsday will serve as the first part of the finale of the Multiverse Saga. The blockbuster justifies its length, as it will need to balance a colossal cast, bringing together the Avengers, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men in a single plot. As a result, the film has the difficult mission of establishing a new major villain and connecting multiple realities, tasks that require screen time.
A Necessary Risk for the MCU’s Future?
However, such an extensive runtime does not come without its risks. With the addition of trailers, the cinema experience could exceed 4 hours, limiting the number of daily screenings and potentially alienating casual audiences. This represents an extra challenge for the MCU, which, after some recent stumbles, needs to regain fan trust with a box office success. Still, cinema history proves that audiences accept long runtimes when the content is captivating, as happened with the The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar: The Way of Water.
On the other hand, it’s important to remember that the information about the runtime has not yet been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios. Filming is set to resume in April, which could alter the final cut. If the rumor holds true, the great advantage of Avengers: Doomsday will be to use every minute intelligently, with epic action and character development, so the viewer doesn’t feel the time pass. Otherwise, negative backlash could be a hard blow for the franchise at this crucial moment in 2026.
