Anthony Russo Confirms ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Runtime Is Shorter Than ‘Endgame’

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The runtime of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ has been a hot topic among fans eagerly anticipating Marvel’s next blockbuster. Speculation has ranged widely, with some reports suggesting the film could stretch to an impressive 3 hours and 45 minutes, raising questions about whether the Russo brothers would surpass their own previous record.

That record is noteworthy, as ‘Avengers: Endgame’ has a runtime of 3 hours and 1 minute, or 181 minutes, and its upcoming ‘Encore’ re-release adds an additional 4 minutes, bringing it to 3 hours and 5 minutes. Surpassing this would make ‘Doomsday’ the longest film in MCU history.

The Russo brothers have been cautious regarding the film’s length. In a 2025 interview with Collider, they mentioned that while nothing was finalized, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ would likely clock in at around 2 hours and 30 minutes, with ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ expected to be about 3 hours. Recently, director Anthony Russo provided an update, stating that the current cut of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is approximately 2 and a half hours long.

Russo elaborated on the film’s structure, describing it as a focused and propulsive narrative with a central organizing principle. Everything within the film is designed to revolve around this core.

Joe Russo hinted that audiences would be taken aback, suggesting that the film features a very surprising ending. According to GamesRadar, if the runtime remains around 150 minutes, it will indeed be shorter than ‘Endgame’.

These recent comments follow a series of reports over the past months. In January, scooper Daniel Richtman suggested a runtime of about 3 hours, while another report speculated it could reach up to 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Then, in July, The Hollywood Reporter indicated that the working runtime was 165 minutes, or 2 hours and 45 minutes, although the Russos had yet to finalize the cut. At San Diego Comic-Con, Anthony Russo mentioned it was too early to provide a definitive answer, but assured fans that the runtime would be substantial.

For context, previous Avengers films have varied in length: ‘The Avengers’ ran for 2 hours and 23 minutes, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ for 2 hours and 21 minutes, and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ for 2 hours and 29 minutes.

A runtime of around 150 minutes would align closely with ‘Infinity War’, while the reported 165 minutes would place it between that film and ‘Endgame’. Regardless, it appears it will not exceed the MCU’s current longest film.

As of mid-August, Anthony Russo confirmed that the final edit is still in progress, and any runtime listed for ticketing purposes is merely a scheduling estimate rather than a definitive creative choice. This indicates that the runtime could still change before the film’s release in December.

Separate rumors from scooper @MyTimeToShineH have claimed that internal test screenings have scored significantly higher than ‘Endgame’. However, these reports remain unverified, and Marvel Studios has not commented on them.

The film features an impressive cast, including Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, alongside Pedro Pascal, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Chris Evans, Letitia Wright, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, and Florence Pugh. The Russo brothers direct the film, with the screenplay penned by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is set to hit theaters in the US on December 18, having shifted from its original May 1 release date, and on December 16 in the UK. It will compete at the box office with ‘Dune: Part Three’, while ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ is scheduled for December 17, 2027.

For a film featuring one of the largest ensembles in the MCU, a shorter runtime suggests a more streamlined narrative with less opportunity for cameo appearances. Fans have expressed mixed reactions to the runtime, noting that the primary concern regarding ‘Doomsday’ was never its length.

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