Superman director James Gunn has given fans the briefest of teases for the upcoming DCU movie’s runtime – and it’s clear that we shouldn’t be expecting a three-hour epic in the vein of The Batman or Avengers: Endgame.
According to ComicBook, Gunn said the Superman runtime is “well under three hours… Under two and a half.”
For anyone curious, Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy clocked in between two hours (the first Guardians movie ran for 122 minutes) and two-and-a-half hours (Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was a series-long 149 minutes). Gunn’s comments, though, would suggest Superman is aiming for the 120-to-140 minute range, which takes it in line with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (143 minutes).
The first Superman trailer, though, proved that – no matter the runtime – the DCU movie isn’t lacking in either scale or scope.
Despite packing the trailer out with heroes and villains (including David Corenswet’s Superman, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, and Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner), there was one secret figure hiding at the 90-second mark: The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), a member of the anti-hero group The Authority.
Superman is set to form part of DCU Chapter One, Gunn and fellow DC Studios’ co-CEO’s first wave of projects. They initially included five shows and five movies, including a Booster Gold series and a brand-new Batman project but, as of right now, only the likes of Peacemaker season 2, a Clayface movie, Lanterns, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (starring House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock) are likely coming within the next few years.
Superman flies into cinemas on July 11, 2025. For more, check out our guide to new superhero movies and how to watch the DC movies in order.
