Last month, Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo revealed that the film in its current edit sits at about three hours, and from the sound of things, there’s a distinct possibility that the movie will stay that way upon release.
In an interview with Collider, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige touched upon the subject of Endgame’s runtime, and while the producer was characteristically vague on the matter, he did offer his assurance that the movie will be exactly as long as it needs to be.
“We’re gonna release the movie at the exact right running time. I’m telling you this, it’s gonna be perfect. It’s gonna be the exact running time that the movie needs to be.”
So, what is this ideal runtime that Marvel Studios is edging towards? Well, when the Russo Brothers spoke to Collider in early February, they claimed that Endgame “feels like three hours’ worth of real estate,” after mentioning that the current cut of the film was playing well with test audiences. Feige, meanwhile, argues that the actual length of a movie is less important than how long it feels.
“I think there’s a lot of story in that movie and a lot of characters in that movie. In all seriousness, we don’t look at run times in terms of mandates, or anything like that. Every movie should feel like it’s an hour and 45 minutes. Now, some movies can be 90 minutes and feel like they’re four hours. And some movies can be three and a half hours and feel like 90 minutes. So for us, that’s what it … It’s, ‘how does it feel?’ And every version of Endgame thus far, and the ones that we’re honing in on, feel very good.”
It’ll likely be at least another few weeks before Endgame’s official runtime is revealed, but Feige’s not wrong when he says that the movie is having to cover a lot of story and a lot of characters, and as The Lord of the Rings trilogy amply demonstrated, the filmgoing public is perfectly willing to take a chance on a 3-hour blockbuster if the material interests them enough.
In fact, according to a recent projection from Researcher Exhibitor Relations, Avengers: Endgame is tracking for a record-breaking opening weekend haul of $282 million domestically, though their one point of concern is that a 3-hour runtime would limit the number of daily screenings. Either way, we can judge for ourselves if the film has been cut to its ideal length when it arrives in theaters on April 26th, 2019.