Ever since Avengers: Endgame broke MCU runtime records with three hours of blockbuster action, fans have become increasingly focused on the length of Marvel Studios' offerings. This trend runs particularly deep with the Disney+ series as many have criticized the House of Mouse for releasing disappointing short episodes in its Marvel and Star Wars series.
Just before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness portaled its way into theaters, a social media uproar arose after its short running time of 126 minutes (2 hours and 6 minutes) was revealed. Given the scale of the Multiverse epic and how much the film was expected to deliver, many were concerned that just over two hours wouldn't be enough - something which many argue was correct.
With Thor: Love and Thunder right around the corner, the same debate has begun to arise surrounding its running time. After all, the film has a lot to do with the Guardians of the Galaxy returning, Jane Foster becoming Thor, and introducing Gorr the God Butcher.
Thor 4 Receives Conflicting Running Times
Different running times for Thor: Love and Thunder have been posted online, ranging from 115 minutes (1 hour and 55 minutes), published by Australian theater chain Event Cinema, to 140 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes), shared by U.K. chain Cineworld.
The lower end of the spectrum would leave Love and Thunder with the same running time as the first Doctor Strange and Thor films while being slightly longer than The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World.
Will Thor 4 Be Long Enough?
Director Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok previously ran for 130 minutes (2 hours and 10 minutes), while his other recent films Jojo Rabbit and What We Do in the Shadow came in at 108 minutes (1 hour and 48 minutes) and 86 minutes (1 hour and 26 minutes), respectively.
When looking at these running times, Thor: Love and Thunder coming in somewhere around the two-hour mark would not be uncharacteristic for the director. It should be noted that Multiverse of Madness previously reported a multitude of running times before its official length was revealed, so this should not be taken as fact by any means.
Thor: Love and Thunder has a lot of characters to work with, including Thor, Valkyrie, Jane Foster, Gorr the God Butcher, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. Many may be concerned whether a running time at the lower end of this spectrum would be enough to deliver a fulfilling fourth outing for the God of Thunder.
Fans should not be expecting much from the Guardians' role in the film, as they will probably only appear in the early minutes for an action scene or two to fulfill the ending of Avengers: Endgame. Most of the focus will almost certainly be on Thor, Valkyrie, Jane, and Gorr, as it should be with this being the fourth outing in the Asgardian saga.
Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8.
