Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Run Time Revealed

Whenever a new installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to hit theaters, fans are interested in learning what the run time will be. As audiences count down the days until Thunderbolts* arrives, it’s now been revealed how long that film is. The movie’s landing page on the official Regal website says Thunderbolts* runs for 2 hours, 6 minutes (or 126 minutes). Interestingly, the theater chain appears to have jumped the gun a bit, as the website also lists showtimes at various Regal locations and tickets are available to purchase. Marvel Studios has not officially announced that Thunderbolts* tickets are on sale as of this writing.

Compared to other recent Marvel films, Thunderbolts* is a little longer than Captain America: Brave New World (118 minutes) and The Marvels (105 minutes), and shorter than Deadpool & Wolverine (128 minutes) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (150 minutes). It’ll also be shorter than this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is set to be 140 minutes long.

Thunderbolts* is scheduled to hit theaters on May 2nd. The film has taken on a greater importance within the context of the Multiverse Saga following the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement. Several of the principal Thunderbolts* stars, including Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, and Sebastian Stan, are part of the stacked ensemble.

[RELATED – Marvel’s Thunderbolts Just Became Required Viewing for Avengers: Doomsday]

Now that Captain America: Brave New World‘s box office run is winding down, Marvel has shifted its focus to building hype for Thunderbolts*. Recent marketing materials have drawn attention to Sentry’s standing as one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. Marvel has gotten creative with how it’s promoted Thunderbolts*, releasing a poster in the style of a Wheaties box and a trailer that mimics A24’s distinct style.

Roughly two hours is a fairly standard length for a studio tentpole, so the Thunderbolts* run time shouldn’t come as a surprise. When a film of this kind is longer than that, it’s usually because it has some additional heavy lifting to do regarding character introductions or world building (which might explain why Fantastic Four is 2 hours, 20 minutes). While Thunderbolts* marks the first time these characters have worked together as a team, most of the main players have been featured in previous Marvel productions, so audiences are already familiar with them. This means the story can basically jump right into the action without getting too bogged down in exposition, establishing the group dynamics at the center of the film.

The run time should also benefit Thunderbolts’* box office prospects, as theaters should be able to book several daily screenings without much issue. That would be great, since Marvel is looking to quickly rebound from the disappointment of Brave New World. If the Doomsday cast list is anything to go by, the studio has a lot riding on Thunderbolts* to set the stage for the Multiverse Saga’s epic conclusion. It needs the film to be a big hit. Hopefully, it’s a snappy, well-paced action film that’s equal parts entertaining and thrilling.