The Marvels director Nia DaCosta “really wanted” to keep the runtime under two hours

With a runtime of 105 minutes, The Marvels will be the shortest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That seems to have hit a nerve with some fans, but director Nia DaCosta defended the choice to keep the movie under two hours.

“I really wanted it to be under two hours,” Nia DaCosta told Digital Spy. “I always think about the runtime actually, when I go into a film. I just feel like there’s no need to have it long if you don’t need to, because 1 hour 45 minutes is pretty average for a movie, so we were all really excited.” The director added, “I just think you do what’s right for the movie. I didn’t even know about this runtime thing until I think it was reported on. You have to do what’s right for the movie.“

Not all movies need to keep your butt in the seat for two hours or more. If The Marvels is able to tell its story in 105 minutes, why should it be padded out just for the sake of it? I doubt that’s what fans would want. It’s interesting that the short runtime of The Marvels has become such a talking point at the same time when people are wondering if movies are getting too long.

“In Marvel Studios’ The Marvels, Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence,” reads the official synopsis. “But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as The Marvels.“

In addition to Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, The Marvels also stars Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. The Marvels will hit theaters on November 10th.