It seems 130–180 minute blockbusters have become the norm. Once upon a time, the sweet spot was considered 90 to 120 minutes—shorter felt like a rip-off, longer risked testing patience. However, in the past few years, that unspoken rule has loosened.
This summer, “The Odyssey” (172 minutes) and “Disclosure Day” (155 minutes) will give audiences their money’s worth, and now we have word that “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” will be 2 hours and 25 minutes. That’s only three minutes shorter than the last Spidey (‘No Way Home’) released in 2021.
Some of the most financially successful films of recent years have also been lengthy experiences: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” ran 2 hours and 29 minutes, “Oppenheimer” came in at 3 hours, and “Avatar: The Way of Water” at 192 minutes. “Wicked” ran 160 minutes, “John Wick: Chapter 4” ran 169 minutes, “Dune: Part Two” ran 166 minutes, “F1” ran 156 minutes, and the most recent ‘Mission: Impossible’ film ran 163 minutes.
When considering a single movie that breaks the sacred 120-minute barrier, there’s hope that it will use its runtime to take its time and build a world that absorbs you, pulling you out of your current reality. If the film accomplishes what it sets out to do, there’s no reason to complain. It’s the bad movies that result in excruciating viewing experiences.
Now, the thought of sitting down for a near 2.5-hour MCU movie is not my idea of fun, but who knows, maybe a new director (Destin Daniel Cretton) will give us something fresh and gritty in ‘Brand New Day.’ That’s the hope.
No offense to ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ which I liked very much, but Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2” is the best Spidey movie ever made—hell, it’s probably one of the best comic book movies ever made. The Tom Holland-starring Spideys? I just can’t get into them, the same way the Andrew Garfield movies failed to ignite a spark in me.
Sony has set up a July 31, 2026 release date for ‘Brand New Day.’ Holland has another movie opening two weeks earlier, and it’s not just any movie—it’s Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
Peter Jackson is back. Twelve years after his last narrative feature, he's confirmed his next directing gig, and it's the ‘Tintin’ sequel that everyone had pretty much given up on.