‘Multiverse of Madness’ Has a Very Reasonable Runtime
Viewers who long for the days of reasonable runtimes rejoice! The Multiverse of Madness runtime clocks in at just over 2 hours.
Fandango revealed the runtime for the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. I braced for impact. But what I got was a surprise. 2 hours and 6 minutes! A perfectly reasonable time to not need a bathroom break or a breather! No need for my usual “bring back the intermission” warcry.
The Multiverse of Madness runtime will make it the shortest Marvel movie since Captain Marvel. And it’s the shortest Phase 4 movie so far. Black Widow and Shang-Chi are in the same ballpark.
The Multiverse of Madness Runtime Feels a Little Unreal
Okay, this isn’t an unusual runtime for a Marvel sequel movie, speaking comparatively. But I keep forgetting this is a character sequel and not a major event film. I mean, there’s a lot happening in the trailer. This movie is going to wrap up a lot of loose strings in the MCU. Wanda Maximoff will clearly be working through the events of Wandavision. Plus, the film will introduce a yet-unknown number of alternate reality Doctor Stranges and the new next-gen hero Miss America Chavez.
The point is, when you crack open the multiverse, it’s gotta be tricky to make discerning cuts. Good on you, Sam Raimi. Many audiences and critics felt that another Phase 4 The Eternals could have benefited from a shorter runtime. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: No Way Home also ran closer to 2 1/2 hours and filled every moment perfectly. Madness will serve as a follow-up to that story as well – which makes the Multiverse of Madness runtime even more impressive.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Synopsis & Cast
In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
Madness features the return of Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Rachel McAdams. Sorcerers Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also back. New members include Xochitl Gomez as Miss America Chavez.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives only in theaters on May 6.
