Supergirl will write its name in the history books when it soars into theaters this June. The upcoming DC Studios blockbuster, starring Milly Alcock as a new take on the titular Girl of Steel, is set to buck a trend for the Blue Brand that dates back to 2020, bringing its star-faring story to the big screen for the first time.
During a trailer release event in December, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran confirmed that Supergirl will be the first theatrically released DC movie to come in under two hours. Safran told journalists in attendance at the trailer release party that the movie is in "great shape," and the cut (at the time) was less than two hours long.
This is the first time a DC movie has been under 120 minutes since 2020's Birds of Prey (which ran 1 hour 49 minutes). In the 10 years since then, the iconic comic book publisher has released 10 straight movies that have eclipsed the two-hour mark.
During that 10-movie run, runtimes averaged 2 hours 17 minutes, with the longest in 2022, The Batman (2 hours 56 minutes). For reference, the only other DC Studios movie released to this point, Superman, was 2 hours and 10 minutes.
See below for a complete list of DC movies over the last six years and their runtimes:
- Birds of Prey (1h 49m)
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2h 31m)
- The Suicide Squad (2h 12m)
- The Batman (2h 56m)
- Black Adam (2h 5m)
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2h 10m)
- The Flash (2h 24m)
- Blue Beetle (2h 7m)
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2h 4m)
- Joker: Folie à Deux (2h 18m)
- Superman (2h 10m)
Supergirl marks the second big-screen entry into the newly launched DCU. From the mind of I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, the new planet-hopping adventure stars House of the Dragon alum Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, the 20-something Kryptonian cousin of Superman. After crossing paths with a young girl looking for her father's killers, Kara steps up, using the cosmic conquest in an attempt to fill the void left behind by the destruction of her home planet years ago.
Why Is Supergirl Shorter Than Expected?
Over the last half-decade or so, fans have become accustomed to ballooning runtimes, with some associating a longer movie with higher quality; however, that is not necessarily the case.
Just because Supergirl is coming in under two hours does not mean the movie will not be good. The upcoming DC Studios blockbuster still has all the chance in the world to be something special.
One of the primary things detractors of this decision have been pointing out since it came to light is the fact that last year's Superman was well over the 120-minute mark, yet Supergirl will not be. So, why was Superman so long, yet his Kryptonian cousin gets the short end of the stick?
Well, Superman had a lot more to carry on its shoulders than Supergirl does. James Gunn's 2025 DC romp had to tell an enthralling comic book story while also laying the foundation for the DCU. Supergirl, on the other hand, has a lot less to do, being a much more focused sci-fi story.
Even with that in mind, it is not like Supergirl is going to be a clean 90 minutes. Of course, there is a minute chance that happens, but what seems more likely is that it comes in just under two hours, falling into that Fantastic Four: First Steps 1 hour 55 minutes window.
