Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's official runtime announcement is a big relief, and it's excellent news for the MCU's final Phase 4 project. The sequel to Black Panther is expected to be one of the most important films Marvel Studios has done so far, and it has high expectations. Chadwick Boseman's untimely passing will see someone else take up the Black Panther mantle in order to secure the future expansion of the franchise, and much hinges on the choice.
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The current runtime for Wakanda Forever stands at 2 hours and 41 minutes according to Marvel, making the sequel the second-longest film in the MCU. With three new MCU superheroes being added to the movie, it is certain to be as much of an event as another Phase 4 film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. Multiple recent films including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder have suffered from being shorter than previous entries in their respective franchises, so a longer movie will help to drive the story forward, especially as it transitions to Phase 5.
King T'Challa's death will be a major plot point in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The fact that it's balancing other storylines like the introductions of Ironheart and Namor, along with Wakanda's war with Atlantis, justifies the long runtime. There will be a lot to cover as the film will not only pay tribute to T'Challa, but to Boseman as well, and enough time needs to be given to respectfully handle this. The next Black Panther will also be confirmed, and the rumors suggesting it may be Shuri would explain why the character is front and center in promotional material. This is a lot for one movie to handle, but a runtime of nearly three hours will go a long way to making this a pivotal MCU movie, and effectively portraying all of the above.
Why Black Panther 2 Needs A Longer Runtime Compared To Other Phase 4 Movies
As the longest film in Phase 4, the Black Panther sequel needs a longer runtime because other recent MCU films have been too short. This has become an issue with audiences because not enough time has been given to tell the stories, and that impacts the execution of how they turned out. With upcoming projects such as the rumored Okoye spinoff and Ironheart, more time has to be given to set them up. The films have to start executing their stories properly now that longer, more in-depth stories are being told on Disney+. This shift in focus to longer-form serials could be impacting how the films are received.
Most films that conclude an MCU phase tend to have longer runtimes such as The Avengers. Both Ant-Man and Spider-Man: Far From Home had a respectable amount of time to tell their stories. Phase 4 is ending with Black Panther 2, so it needs to set up the upcoming phases. If the film is pivotal for Marvel Studios and the future of the Multiverse Saga, then it needs to be longer to aid the transition. Sequels tend to be longer, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will expand the world of Wakanda along with the franchise.