The runtime for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has reportedly been revealed, and it could be the Marvel Cinematic Universe's second-longest movie ever. The final movie in Phase 4 and the long-awaited sequel to 2018's phenomenon Black Panther is nearly here. Ryan Coogler returns to direct the movie and lead Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's massive cast, including Letitia Wright's Shuri, Tenoch Huerta's Namor, Danai Gurira's Okoye, Winston Duke's M'Baku, and Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia. The sequel tragically will not include T'Challa following Chadwick Boseman's passing in 2020 and Marvel's decision not to recast the role.
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Ever since Marvel debuted the first Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, anticipation for the sequel has increased greatly. Some skepticism around if the movie would work without Chadwick Boseman started to fade away as viewers saw how Marvel and Coogler plan to honor his legacy. Meanwhile, the teases of the emotional story and Namor going to war with Wakanda made Black Panther: Wakanda Forever look special and epic in scope. This led to some speculation about how long the movie will be, especially as recent Phase 4 movies had clocked in at less than 2 hours.
The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever runtime might have been revealed thanks to recent theater listings. Cineplex and Regal, who are both owned by Cineworld, updated their landing pages for the movie and made Black Panther 2's runtime 2 hours and 41 minutes. It is currently not confirmed that this is the sequel's final runtime. If it is accurate, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be Marvel Studios' second-longest movie ever, behind only Avengers: Endgame's 3 hours and 1 minute runtime.
Why Black Panther 2’s Long Runtime Is A Good Sign
If the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever runtime is legitimate, it would be a good sign for the movie. Coogler's sequel has long appeared to be a much bigger film than the original Black Panther. Even though there is theoretically less to introduce audiences to since Wakanda and the main characters are already established, introducing Namor and his underwater kingdom of Talocan is something that cannot be rushed. Black Panther 2's long runtime is likely a positive indication that the sequel has plenty of time to set up Namor's motivations, the war between two mighty kingdoms, and even explore Namor being a mutant. Furthermore, it means the sequel can spend an adequate amount of time on T'Challa's death and honoring Boseman.
The long Black Panther: Wakanda Forever runtime is also starkly different from the more recent MCU Phase 4 movies. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder both came right around 2 hours in length, even though it was clear in both cases that they could have used more time to explore various stories and characters. After the sequels received reviews below Marvel's standard and claims rose that MCU Phase 4 is the worst, perhaps the reigns have been loosened for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Sources: Cineplex, Regal