After the monumental success of Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler's sequel looks to deliver more of the insight and spectacle the creative is known for. Even as the project deals with the tragic and premature passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, it also looks to carve out its own legacy, expanding on the weighty ideas that made its predecessor, as well as Boseman himself, such a success.
Part of this effort includes building out the world of Wakanda, something the film looks to do in a variety of ways. For one, the sequel is set to introduce an entirely new kingdom to the MCU, bringing to life the underwater city of Talocan. Alongside this development is the first appearance of Namor, a figure whose ties to the mutant world tease a whole host of possibilities for the future of the MCU.
Also joining the project is the character of Riri Williams, a tech-based teen who will be receiving her own Disney+ series in Ironheart. The show will see the character embrace the technology of Tony Stark, adding another layer of legacy to what seems to be Wakanda Forever's thematic bedrock.
However, even as much about the film is known, with lots of news surrounding its exciting lineup of characters and a recent teaser trailer, some finer details still elude fans, though that is beginning to change.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Lengthy Runtime
A recent update to the Cineplex page for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has revealed the upcoming sequel's runtime, coming in at a lengthy 2 hours and 41 minutes. The extended length of the project is further confirmed by Wakanda Forever's Regal page, which has the exact same runtime.
This positions it as the longest non-Avengers film in the MCU, beating out 2021's Eternals (2 hours, 36 minutes).
Even so, it's worth noting that UK-based site Cineworld puts Wakanda Forever at a much shorter 2 hours and 10 minutes, though the platform has made mistakes in the past when it comes to posting early runtimes.
Here's the full list of MCU movie runtimes for comparison:
- Iron Man - 2 hours, 6 minutes
- The Incredible Hulk - 1 hour, 52 minutes
- Iron Man 2 - 2 hours, 4 minutes
- Thor - 1 hour, 55 minutes
- Captain America: The First Avenger - 2 hours, 4 minutes
- The Avengers - 2 hours, 23 minutes
- Iron Man 3 - 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Thor: The Dark World - 1 hour, 52 minutes
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier - 2 hours, 16 minutes
- Guardians of the Galaxy - 2 hours, 1 minute
- Avengers: Age of Ultron - 2 hours, 21 minutes
- Ant-Man - 1 hour, 57 minutes
- Captain America: Civil War - 2 hours, 27 minutes
- Doctor Strange - 1 hour, 55 minutes
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - 2 hours, 16 minutes
- Spider-Man: Homecoming - 2 hours, 13 minutes
- Thor: Ragnarok - 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Black Panther - 2 hours, 14 minutes
- Avengers: Infinity War - 2 hours, 29 minutes
- Ant-Man & the Wasp - 1 hour, 58 minutes
- Captain Marvel - 2 hours, 3 minutes
- Avengers: Endgame - 3 hours, 1 minute
- Spider-Man: Far From Home - 2 hours, 9 minutes
- Black Widow - 2 hours, 14 minutes
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - 2 hours, 12 minutes
- Eternals - 2 hours, 36 minutes
- Spider-Man: No Way Home - 2 hours, 28 minutes
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - 2 hours, 6 minutes
Update: Disney has confirmed that this listed length is the finalized runtime.
What to Expect From the Long-Running Wakanda Forever
As these listings appear to be legitimate, it seems fans are in for an odyssey of a film with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The original Black Panther's runtime sat at 2 hours and 14 minutes, giving the sequel an extra 27 minutes within Wakanda's walls.
With Black Panther proving the depth and complexity of the character's world, it makes sense to increase the length of the sequel, allowing the beloved cast of returning characters, as well as the whole host of new additions to the world, to really shine.
Content-wise, this inflated length also makes a good bit of sense. Not only will the film likely provide a fitting tribute to Chadwick Boseman, but it also looks to include the introduction of characters like Namor and Ironheart. Following the conclusion of Black Panther, the sequel will also continue the story of a newly united Wakanda's entrance onto the world stage, the passing of the Black Panther mantle, and the brutal war against Talocan.
In an MCU rife with newly expressed frustration, it also makes sense to give such a proven franchise some extra leeway in the length department, with Marvel trusting the time-tested Ryan Coogler to maintain the pace and power of his previous films across a larger canvas.
Even so, it's quite possible that the Cineplex runtime is simply wrong, with either the more conservative Cineworld length or another shorter length being the actual final runtime for the film. Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness surprised fans with their somewhat abbreviated length, so it's possible that Wakanda Forever might just follow up in its footsteps
Either way, if Wakanda Forever is anywhere close to the standard set by Coogler's previous flicks, fans are in for a real treat with the Black Panther sequel, no matter how long it ends up lasting.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11.
PLAYSTATION Writer
