Over 15 years and 32 feature films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown and evolved from an experiment (Iron Man) to the most successful film franchise in history. Full of origin stories, team-ups, and big events, just like the source material on which it’s based, the MCU has weaved compelling narratives throughout narratives and across phases; however, as it has expanded, so too has the need to tell longer stories. With that in mind, we present a complete collection and analysis of the runtimes of the MCU, both by Phase and from shortest to longest.
By necessity, two-thirds of Phase One’s films told the origins of the core group of Avengers who would team up in 2012’s The Avengers. And, of course, Phase One set up that big team-up with the first of what would become an MCU staple: a stinger featuring Nick Fury.
Iron Man
Release Date: May 2, 2008
Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
The Incredible Hulk
Release Date: June 13, 20008
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
Number of stingers: 0 (the Stark scene was a pre-credits scene)
Iron Man 2
Release Date: May 7, 2010
Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Thor
Release Date: May 6, 2011
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Captain America: The First Avenger
Release Date: July 29, 2011
Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
The Avengers
Release Date: May 4, 2012
Runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Total Phase One Runtime: 744 minutes (12 hours 24 minutes)
Average Phase One Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
The success of Phase One dictated that Phase Two would be sequel heavy, but Marvel Studios also needed to take some chances and introduce some new characters. They did so in Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man, but it was the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier that paved the road for what would become the central plot of the future of the MCU. Phase Two films were only slightly longer, on average, than Phase One.
Iron Man 3
Release Date: May 3, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Thor: The Dark World
Release Date: November 8, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Guardians of the Galaxy
Release Date: August 1, 2014
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Ant-Man
Release Date: July 17, 2015
Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Total Phase Two Runtime: 12 hours 38 minutes (758 minutes)
Average Phase Two Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
Phase Three saw the greatest expansion of main characters in the MCU and featured two of the most successful films in the history of Hollywood. Comprised on 11 films, Phase Three nearly equaled the combined output of Phases One and Two and cemented the MCU’s legacy. The average runtime became significantly longer with only two of the 11 films coming in under two hours and Avengers: Endgame becoming the first to cross the 3-hour mark.
Captain America: Civil War
Release Date: May 6, 2016
Runtime: 2 hours 27 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Doctor Strange
Release Date: November 4, 2016
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes
Number of stingers: 5
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Release Date: July 7, 2017
Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Thor: Ragnarok
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Black Panther
Release Date: February 16, 2018
Runtime: 2 hours 14 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Avengers: Infinity War
Release Date: April 27, 2018
Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Ant-Man and The Wasp
Release Date: July 6, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Captain Marvel
Release Date: March 8, 2019
Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Avengers: Endgame
Release Date: April 26, 2019
Runtime: 3 hours 1 minute
Number of stingers: 0
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Total Phase Three Runtime: 24 hours 57 minutes (1,497 minutes)
Average Phase Three Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
23 Films
Total Infinity Saga Runtime: 49 hours and 59 minutes (2,999 minutes)
Average Infinity Saga Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Like Phase One, Phase Four has to date been heavily comprised of origin stories as the MCU sets a new course. Unlike previous Phases, Phase Four has also had the benefit of Disney Plus serving as a storytelling companion. Phase Four ended up with the longest average runtime of any phase of the MCU to date.
Black Widow
Release Date: July 9, 2021
Runtime: 2 hours 14 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
Release Date: September 3, 2021
Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Eternals
Release Date: November 5, 2021
Runtime: 2 hours 36 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release Date: December 17, 2021
Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Release Date: May 5, 2022
Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release Date: July 8, 2022
Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Runtime: 2 hours 41 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Total Phase Four Runtime: 16 hours 16 minutes (976 minutes)
Average Phase Four Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes
Phase 5 currently consists of 3 films with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania having kicked it off in February 2023.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Runtime 2 hours 5 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes
Number of stingers: 2
The Marvels
Release Date: November 10, 2023
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
Number of stingers: 1
Total Phase Five Runtime: 6 hours 19 minutes (379 minutes)
Average Phase Five Runtime: 2 hours and 6 minutes
10 Films
Total Multiverse Saga Runtime: 22 hours 35 minutes (1,355 minutes)
Average Multiverse Saga Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
A look at all 33 films from the shortest runtime to the longest runtime, including the total runtime of the franchise and the sweet spot runtime of 2 hours 12 minutes.
The Marvels 1 hour 45 minutes
The Incredible Hulk: 1 hour 52 minutes
Thor: The Dark World: 1 hour 52 minutes
Thor: 1 hour 55 minutes
Doctor Strange: 1 hour 55 minutes
Ant-Man: 1 hour 57 minutes
Ant-Man and The Wasp: 1 hour 58 minutes
Thor: Love and Thunder: 1 hour 59 minutes
Guardians of the Galaxy: 2 hours 2 minutes
Iron Man 2: 2 hours 4 minutes
Captain America: The First Avenger: 2 hours 4 minutes
Captain Marvel: 2 hours 4 minutes
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania: 2 hours 5 minutes
Iron Man: 2 hours 6 minutes
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: 2 hours 6 minutes
Spider-Man: Far From Home: 2 hours 9 minutes
Iron Man 3: 2 hours 10 minutes
Thor: Ragnarok: 2 hours 10 minutes
Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings: 2 hours 12 minutes
Spider-Man: Homecoming: 2 hours 13 minutes
Black Panther: 2 hours 14 minutes
Black Widow: 2 hours 14 minutes
Captain America: The Winter Soldier: 2 hours 16 minutes
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: 2 hours 17 minutes
Avengers: Age of Ultron: 2 hours 21 minutes
The Avengers: 2 hours 23 minutes
Captain America: Civil War: 2 hours 27 minutes
Spider-Man: No Way Home: 2 hours 28 minutes
Avengers: Infinity War: 2 hours 29 minutes
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 2 hours 29 minutes
Eternals: 2 hours 36 minutes
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: 2 hours 41 minutes
Avengers: Endgame: 3 hours 1 minute
Total Runtime: 72 hours 34 minutes (4,354 minutes)
Average Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes
