The films that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe tell intricately crafted stories that feature complex characters and convey a mosaic of ideas. The studio has created such an enticing franchise that fans are more than willing to sit in a crowded movie theater for three hours.
Though it may not necessarily equate to its quality, the length of a movie is a good indicator of how much time went into writing, producing, and perfecting the work of cinema. It comes as no surprise that some of the MCU’s finest (films, that is) make this list of film entries in the franchise with the longest runtimes.
Thor: Ragnarok (130 Min.) & Iron Man 3 (131 Min.)
Thor: Ragnarok is the only one of the Thor movies to crack the 2-hour mark, a feat accomplished by all three Iron Man films. As Ragnarok and Iron Man 3 are nearly the same length, they’ll be included together in this entry.
Ragnarok took fans beyond Asgard and Earth, introducing elements like the goddess of death, the Gamemaker, the Valkyrie, and the destiny of Asgard itself. It seems like a lot to cover in one movie, but Ragnarok’s colorful, adventurous plot manages to pull it off. In addition to Thor, the film sees the return of Loki – who was thought to be dead – and the Hulk, whose whereabouts had been unknown since Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Iron Man 3 sees Tony baiting a terrorist into an attack that leads to some rather dire consequences. Similar to Ragnarok, Iron Man 3 takes its protagonist on a journey of self-discovery.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (133 Min.)
Picking up after the Avengers’ civil war, Spider-Man: Homecoming follows Peter after his recruitment by Tony Stark. While feeling like he is stuck on the back burner, Peter is eager to be more than a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man; so much so, the hero sets out to take on the Vulture.
With the help of Ned, his “guy in the chair,” he faces off against the villain. While saving a planeful of Avengers-grade weapons with nothing but a red sweatshirt and a can-do attitude, Peter discovers that he is, in fact, an Avenger.
Black Panther (134 Min.)
The MCU saw unprecedented success with Black Panther, the debut of T’Challa. The film, also following the events of the superhero civil war, depicts the aftermath of King T’Chaka’s death.
When Erik Killmonger reveals himself as another heir to the monarchy and states his claim to the throne, T’Challa must defeat his enemy to save the nation of Wakanda. T’Challa also struggles to grow out of the broad shadow cast by his father. In the end, he decides to open up his home country and its resources to the world.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (136 Min.)
With Steve’s reintroduction to the land of the living, the return of HYDRA, and the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain America: The Winter Soldier is filled to the brim with action, adventure, and twists and turn.
A threat is revealed so woven into the fabric of the well-respected and trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. organization that the film requires the addition of Black Widow, the Falcon, Agent Hill, and Director Fury himself. Still adjusting to his ever-changing reality, Steve is again faced with Bucky Barnes, this time as a weapon of the enemy, as he takes down the corrupt agency and saves millions of people.
Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 2 (137 Min.)
While its predecessor introduced viewers to the Guardians from an overarching perspective, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 takes its time exploring the depths of the characters. A revelation regarding Peter’s lineage ends up test his loyalties, more about Gamora’s past is exposed, and Rocket comes face-to-face with his own flaws and his friends’ forgiveness of them.
Finding themselves being chased by the Sovereign fleet, the Guardians are rescued by Ego, who reveals himself to be Peter’s father. With Yondu’s Ragavers and Nebula hot on their tail, the Guardians escape to Ego’s planet only to discover that what he offers is anything but a sanctuary.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (141 Min.)
Though many fans regard Age of Ultron as “slightly disappointing,” it explores in-depth an idea relevant to the age of technology. It illustrates the haunting sentiment that if a computer program is told to save the world, it will eliminate human life. While doing so, it explores layers to the characters and the dynamics between them that had been proposed in its prequel.
The film also introduces Wanda and Vision, both of whom would go on to become major players in the Avengers’ story and are even set to star in their own Disney+ series.
The Avengers (143 Min.)
The relatively low regard of Ultron can, in part, be attributed to the unprecedented, seemingly insurmountable success of its prequel. The first full crossover of the MCU, The Avengers was the longest of the works at the time of its 2012 release.
Director Fury brings together the original Avengers, all of whom had been introduced to the universe in one way or another, to defend the Earth against its first alien attack, spearheaded by Loki and the Chitauri. The film, while drawing Phase One to a close, kicks off a monumental, cinematically historic plot that has yet to meet its end.
Captain America: Civil War (147 Min.)
At well over 2 hours, Captain America: Civil War has a longer runtime than both of the Avengers crossovers in existence at the time, beating out The Avengers by a mere 4 minutes. Even for a solo movie, it’s an unsurprising accomplishment, considering the film features all but two members of the Avengers team while bringing in Scott Lang as the Ant-Man and debuting Peter Parker’s Spider-Man.
Civil War sees the team divided by the Sokovia Accords, with half submitting to the government’s direction and the other half fighting for the freedom of enhanced individuals.
Avengers: Infinity War (149 Min.)
The involvement of the Infinity Stones in the preceding movies had gradually built more and more momentum with the rolling plot, and in Infinity War, it all comes to a thrilling explosion as Thanos closes in on his goal of cutting the universe’s population in half.
With an urgent mission and a scarcity of time, the Avengers team up for the first time since their civil war to stop the Mad Titan from acquiring the Stones. The film takes viewers to every corner of the galaxy and involves almost every hero introduced in the MCU in what is essentially the story of Thanos completing his life’s mission.
Avengers: Endgame (181 Min.)
Yes, the conclusion of the Infinity Saga’s overarching story definitely had its work cut out for it. In fact, it is surprising the heavily anticipated Avengers: Endgame only ran 3 hours long.
It was that precise length of time that gave the characters closure while not feeling like simply a culmination of all of their stories. Following the Snap by 5 years, the remaining Avengers reunite once more to retrieve the Stones from the past and restore those who Thanos wiped from existence.
