A new rumor hints at James Gunn's upcoming 2025 Superman movie being one of the longest films the director has ever made.
Simply put, there is almost an overabundance of exciting material to look forward to in James Gunn's Superman movie. From an upcoming battle with Lex Luthor to a potential first appearance by Milly Alcock's Supergirl, the solo outing is sure to be a thrilling ride from start to finish.
While Superman will be DC's only full-length movie of 2025, it holds the responsibility of starting off James Gunn's new DC Universe following Creature Commandos' debut on Max. Considering the expectations for it to succeed, many wonder exactly how long it will have to be to wind up as a winner.
Superman 2025 Might Be One of James Gunn's Longest Movies Ever
According to movie insider Jeff Sneider, DC Studios' Superman could potentially have one of the longest runtimes of any movie James Gunn has ever directed.
As part of a report hinting at positive early reviews for Superman, Sneider noted that the movie currently has a runtime of 140 minutes (2 hours, 20 minutes).
Should this runtime stick, it would have the second-longest runtime of the seven movies Gunn has directed (only trailing 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by nine minutes).
The full list of Gunn's previous movies and their runtimes can be seen below in release order:
- Slither (2006) – 95 minutes
- Super (2010) – 96 minutes
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – 122 minutes
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) – 136 minutes
- The Suicide Squad (2021) – 132 minutes
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) – 149 minutes
Is Superman's Long Runtime Good or Bad?
Considering how many storylines are being explored in Superman (which includes over half a dozen major DC superheroes), the reported 140-minute runtime should work favorably. Also working well for the solo movie is that it will not dive into the entire Superman origin story, leaving much more time for the rest of the plot.
At the center of the film's plot is the imminent battle between the Man of Steel and his archnemesis, Lex Luthor, all while his love story with Lois Lane comes to fruition. This will come alongside the introduction of other major DC antagonists as well (see a recent look at Superman's Ultraman villain here).
This runtime should also allow Gunn much more room to balance out the humor and drama in this story, which is one aspect that has some fans worried. Looking back to Gunn's most recent superhero movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, its runtime helped in that regard being nearly two and a half hours long.
For now, fans continue to wait for more marketing material from Superman to come forward, particularly with only small looks at the film's characters having debuted in recent months.
Superman will soar into theaters on July 11.
