The Suicide Squad is one of the most anticipated DCEU entries this 2021 mainly due to its stacked cast and intriguing plot.
The film is directed by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, and it is filled with a combination of stars from its 2016 predecessor like Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, and newcomers such as John Cena, Idris Elba, and Sylvester Stallone.
Set to premiere this August, The Suicide Squad will showcase a brand-new version of Task Force X, with the team going on a mission in the dangerous Corto Maltese. Marketing has revealed that the anti-heroes will duke it out against a cosmic threat in the form of Starro the Conqueror, but details behind its emergence are still being kept under wraps.
With less than two months away until its release, Gunn has been active on social media to promote the film, and his latest reveal could shed some light on how the sequel will balance its narrative.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD'S RUNTIME REVEALED
While replying to a fan on Twitter, The Suicide Squad director James Gunn confirmed that the upcoming DCEU film has a final runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes:
This proves an earlier rumor from Amit Chaudhari, a movie insider from India, about the runtime of the reboot/sequel.
Clocking in at 132 minutes, The Suicide Squad will tie 2019's Shazam! as the fourth-shortest movie in the DCEU franchise.
For reference, every movie's runtime in the DCEU is listed below:
- Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021): 242 minutes
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016): 152 minutes
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020): 151 minutes
- Man of Steel (2013): 143 minutes
- Aquaman (2018): 143 minutes
- Wonder Woman (2017): 141 minutes
- Shazam! (2019): 132 minutes
- The Suicide Squad (2021): 132 minutes
- Suicide Squad (2016): 123 minutes
- Justice League (2017): 120 minutes
- Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020): 109 minutes
Gunn then revealed that he “wrote, filmed, & edited” the best movie that he could, and it ended up at the aforementioned length:
The Suicide Squad is one of the most anticipated DCEU entries this 2021 mainly due to its stacked cast and intriguing plot.
JAMES GUNN'S BALANCING ACT IN THE SEQUEL
James Gunn's latest confirmation about The Suicide Squad's runtime should put rumors to rest while also giving fans an idea of how the outspoken director will give each character their own chance to shine in the sequel.
Given that the runtime is tied as the fourth-shortest movie in the DCEU, it looks like the film will be fast-paced, thus living up to its action-packed reputation. Gunn's comment about creating “the best movie” that he could should serve as a piece of good news for viewers as well.
On a plot level, The Suicide Squad has a lot of story beats that need to be addressed, especially after the confirmation that there will be two versions of Task Force X in the film. It's possible that the first iteration of the Squad will be short-lived, potentially dying in the early stages of the mission. This should pave the way for a good chunk of the sequel to focus on the Bloodsport-led super-team.
In the context of the DCEU, aside from Shazam!, the movie's length is on par with films like 2017's Justice League and its 2016 counterpart, Suicide Squad. Meanwhile, this runtime is also in line with Gunn's previous MCU movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, with the former clocking in at 2 hours and 5 minutes while the latter runs at 2 hours and 18 minutes.
Gunn is known for giving special moments to characters regardless of the runtime, and it will be interesting to see how the director will showcase the mysterious and thrilling story of Task Force X saving the day in the sequel.
The Suicide Squad premieres in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6, 2021.
