In a world where blockbusters seem to stretch on forever, The Marvels just shattered expectations—by being incredibly short. At 105 minutes, it’s not only the shortest film in the MCU but also holds the crown for being the most expensive film per minute under two hours. Here’s the kicker: The Marvels had a hefty $220M budget. With that price tag, you’d expect a sprawling epic. But no, director Nia DaCosta kept stuff brisk.
“I really wanted it to be under two hours,” she told Digital Spy. And that wasn’t by accident. DaCosta argued, “I just feel like there’s no need to have it long if you don’t need to, because one hour 45 minutes is pretty average for a movie.” And she’s got a point—who says blockbusters need to be marathon-length to be impactful?
The fact that The Marvels is so short might surprise you, considering the current trend of films running over two hours. Last year alone, audiences witnessed Killers of the Flower Moon (206 mins), Avatar: The Way of Water (192 mins), and Oppenheimer (180 mins). It seems like the longer, the better, right? But The Marvels is here to change the narrative. While recent MCU films like Thor: Love and Thunder nudged close to two hours, The Marvels is the shortest.
But here’s where it gets even juicier. With that massive budget and a runtime barely touching 105 minutes, The Marvels becomes one of the most expensive films per minute in history. For films under two hours, it takes the crown. Now, there is some competition: Tangled and The Lion King had their own pricey runs. But in comparison, The Marvels is the undisputed champ.
This trend isn’t isolated to The Marvels, though. In 2023, films like Barbie (114 minutes) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (92 minutes) showed audiences could still flock to shorter movies. Home Alone (106 minutes) is still considered a classic—and it’s been under two hours since the 80s! And while it might seem like long-running times are all the rage, The Marvels proves that you don’t need an endless run to make an impact.
So, what does all this mean for Hollywood? While longer films like Oppenheimer and John Wick: Chapter 4 earned respect for their length and “event” status, The Marvels still has room for punchy, cost-effective blockbusters. Maybe the future of cinema isn’t about more—perhaps it’s about making those minutes count.
Ultimately, it’s a marvelous reminder that quality over quantity can still reign supreme in the film industry. Sometimes, brevity truly is the soul of a blockbuster.
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