The next big thing in superhero cinema is definitely Black Panther, which will hit theaters in just over a month and a half. As that release date rolls ever closer, we’re finding out more and more about what Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman are cooking up for us and now, courtesy of Event Cinema’s website, we know that the film comes in at a relatively lengthy 135 minutes.
This will make it one of the longer MCU movies to date, with Captain America: Civil War‘s 148 minutes still top of the charts. On average, Marvel pics nearly all wrap up somewhere between 110-125 minutes, putting Black Panther ahead of the crowd.
On one hand, this is understandable, as the film has to set up the kingdom of Wakanda and the extensive supporting cast, not to mention giving us a quick look at the state of the world in the run-up to Infinity War. On the other, it could be a sign of a slightly flabby narrative that overextends itself.
I’m desperately hoping it’s the former, though. Ryan Coogler more than proved his worth with Creed – which was a propulsively plotted and perfectly paced movie that came in at a similar 133 minutes. Plus, what we’re seeing from the trailers make Panther look like a gripping and original slice of superhero fare, with the Afrofuturist stylings of Wakanda a much-needed bit of new territory for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which, like the comics, often behaves as if New York is the centre of the universe).
Then again, I still shudder when I remember the gargantuan three hour nightmare that was Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, one of the more interminable cinema-going experiences of recent years and something that desperately needed an assault by the editor’s scissors. It’s going to take one hell of a film to clear that sore-butted memory from the ol’ brainhole, so let’s hope Black Panther can justify its length.