Superhero films are known for being epic: epic in scope; epic in set design; epic in world-building; and, more often than not, epic. It’s common for films in this genre to go on well past the two-hour mark. Marvel, one of the leading companies in this space, itself has produced behemoths of films in theMarvel Cinematic Universe.Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverlasted an entire two hours and forty-one minutes.Avengers: Endgameclocked in at a whopping three hours and two minutes.
These long runtimes are both what people love and hate about superhero movies. For die-hard fans, it gives them even more time to spend with their favorite superheroes or the villains they love to hate. Yet, for those on the fence, it can be a bit intimidating and perhaps give the impression that it’s a meandering slog. However, even Marvel has shown that it can produce a tight story at a quick pace. Here are Marvel’s shortest movies that are under two hours long.Stream all the following MCU films on Disney+.
8Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder
InThor: Love and Thunder, a prophet named Gorr is reeling after the death of his daughter. He’s mocked by a god named Rapu, and, with the help of the Necrosword, kills him. But that isn’t enough, and Gorr’s thirst for blood only increases. He vows to kill all gods and slowly succumbs to the evil pull of his weapon of choice.
Now a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor hears about Gorr’s plan and that New Asgard is next on his hit list. As he’s dealing with this monumental task, Thor also becomes increasingly concerned with his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Jane Foster who was diagnosed with cancer.
1 Hour, 59 Minutes
The third Thor film,Thor: Ragnarok, is the only one in the series to surpass two hours in length. Thankful for fans who prefer brevity,Thor: Love and Thundercapped everything off with just a minute to spare. The description of the setup may make this obvious, but there is a lot more focus on romance and interpersonal relationships in this film in comparison to others in the franchise.
Granted, the inclusion of ‘love’ and title gave viewers an inkling that it’d have more swoon-worthy moments. Opinions are split on this film, with some not buying the romance and thinking Gorr was underutilized, while others appreciate director Taika Waititi’s of trying something new.
7Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Ant-Man and The Wasp
Ant-Man and the Waspis the follow-up toAnt-Man,and it’s just as fun and lighthearted as the first. Hank Pym was the scientist introduced in the original who created the ant-man shrinking technology. Together with his daughter Hope, they open a tunnel to a place called the Quantum Realm. They believe their wife and mother Janet is trapped there and has been for a while.
Meanwhile, Scott Lang is on house arrest following the events of the first film. He had previously visited the Quantum Realm and started receiving communication from Janet.
1 Hour, 58 Minutes
There are so many gems sprinkled through this 118-minute plot. Scott becoming possessed by Janet and lovingly stroking Pym and Hope’s faces (while in the body of Paul Rudd) has to be one of the funniest moments in the film. But it wasn’t solely the lead actor who got the most hilarious bits. Michael Peña playing Scott’s former cellmate Luis had his share of fun moments, as did countless other members of the cast. And those who were patient enough to stick around were rewarded with an awesome post-credits scene.
Related:The 15 Best Marvel Post-Credits Scenes, Ranked
6Ant-Man (2015)
With Hulk, what intrigues those in his world is his immense size. But as the nameAnt-Mansuggests, it’s the diminutive stature of said superhero that makes him formidable. Scott Lang is an ex-convict struggling to reconnect with his daughter and ex-wife, as well as integrate back into society.
He falls back into his thieving ways, committing a burglary where he finds what he believes to be a motorcycle suit. But when he puts it on, he shrinks to the size of an ant and gets drawn into an ongoing battle betweena scientist who created a potentially dangerous technologyand a slew of people wanting to replicate it.
1 Hour, 57 Minutes
It’s a feat to make a tiny, insect-sized man who runs alongside ants look cool and not silly. There’s a lot of humor inAnt-Man, which Paul Rudd, as the eponymous character, delivers expertly. Yet, this is no less of an action-filled superhero movie than any other Marvel film. The less serious tone works to its advantage.
While some naysayers believe it’s incongruous with the Marvel brand, others contend it makes the film stand out that much more. Another reason it stands out? Viewers will get in and out of the film in under two hours, and they’ll have a fun time through every second of it.
Related:10 Actors Who Were Almost Cast in Marvel’s Ant-Man
5Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange
Dr. Stephen Strange is a highly successful and highly pompous neurosurgeon living in New York City. He gets into a car accident that leaves him unable to use his hands, basically putting a halt on his profession. Strange cannot accept that the life he so carefully crafted is over, so when he learns about a man who was able to regain use of his legs, his interest is piqued. He travels to see if the experimental procedure could work on him and instead meets a sorcerer who introduces him to a world filled with reality-bending magic.
1 Hour, 55 Minutes
The trippy magic system inDoctor Strangerequired the filmmakers to nail the special effects, which they absolutely did. Each time viewers see the sorcerer (and later Strange) use magic, it further envelops fans into this world. The effects were so great that they received an Academy Award nomination.
If movie lovers were impressed withInceptionorThe Matrix, they’ll also enjoy this film. Luckily, it’s not all show with no substance. The writing is sharp,Benedict Cumberbatch was well castin the titular role, and, as the inclusion on this list suggests, it doesn’t take a while to wrap up.
4Thor (2011)
Thoris the fourth film in Marvel’s Phase One of films and Hollywood’s first major introduction to Chris Hemsworth. Years ago, the king of Asgard defeated the Frost Giants and stole the Casket of Ancient Winters, which gives them their power. Much later, one of the king’s sons, Thor, is preparing to take the throne. However, he is sabotaged by his brother Loki, who allows the Frost Giants to infiltrate. Thor shatters the peace established between his people and the Frost Giants. As punishment, he’s sent to Earth without his powers or magical hammer.
1 Hour, 54 Minutes
Fans might be surprised to learnThoris one of Marvel’s shortest films, because so much is jam-packed into the plot. Granted, it’s only eight minutes shy of two hours, but this could’ve easily ballooned into a much longer movie. But director Kenneth Branagh is known for keeping his movies on the shorter side. In fact, since this movie was released in 2011, only one of his subsequent eight projects has been over two hours.
Thordoesn’t overstay its welcome. And while it’s far from being the best installment in the Norse superhero’s story, it served as a great kick-off.
Related:Best Movies That Kenneth Brannagh Directed, Ranked
3Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World
Marvel went with a new director forThor: The Dark World, but even Alan Taylor decided the epic-ness of the story could be contained within 120 minutes. After the events of the first film, it’s safe to say that Thor and Loki don’t have a complication-free sibling relationship. They’ll have to put their differences aside if they want to save the Nine Realms.
A long time ago, the Asgardians fought against the Dark Elves, who wanted to destroy the Nine Realms. The Asgardians believed they had defeated them all, but several of them got away and are now making their presence known.
1 Hour, 52 Minutes
After the success of the first film, everything in this sequel was bigger. Bigger budget. Bigger set pieces. Bigger special effects. But runtime? That remained more or less the same. While the first film had a lot of world-building to establish, this film had the task of deepening our understanding of said world and the characters who inhabit it. Thor and Loki, along with some of the side characters, are much more fleshed out in the sequel, cementing this franchise as a favorite in the MCU.
2The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Incredible Hulk
Who wouldn’t want to have supreme strength and be virtually indestructible? Bruce Banner, as it turns out. InThe Incredible Hulk, Dr. Banner meets with General Ross to discuss the latest developments in a super-soldier program. Ross believes his latest experiment can make humans immune to gamma radiation. However, the experiment didn’t go as planned. One of the side effects is Banner transforming into the Hulk whenever he gets aggravated or overly stimulated. Which, happens a lot, to catastrophic, and sometimes fatal, consequences.
Today, when people think of Bruce Banner and the Hulk, actor Mark Ruffalo comes to mind. However, in this 2008 action-adventure film, Edward Norton played the central role. Here, Banner is on the run from the U.S. military, which wants to study and exploit him. Five years before this film, Universal releasedHulk,which did well financially but didn’t receive a ton of critical praise.
The Incredible Hulkaddresses some of the issues viewers had with its predecessor, including tightening up the pace and delivering amuch more succinct story.
1The Marvels (2023)
The Marvels
The Marvelsis a sequel toCaptain Marveland follows three women: Carol (Captain Marvel), Kamala (Ms. Marvel), and Monica. Carol destroys the A.I. that gives the alien Kree empire its power. This action leads to a civil war, which in turn causes the Kree’s planet to become practically unsuitable for life. But Carol’s actions don’t exist in a vacuum, and it has negative impacts on the universe at large. How time and reality works is altered and whenever Carol uses her powers, she switches places with one of two other superheroes.
1 Hour, 45 Minutes
It’s no secret thatThe Marvelslanded with a clunk. The film broke records of the wrong kind, including being the lowest-earning MCU film ever andnot breaking even in theaters. After the massive success of the first film, the cool reaction toward this one came as a surprise to some. Even other MCU films that received mixed-to-negative reactions grossed more money thanThe Marvels. Was it the acting quality?
Do female-led superhero movies still struggle to find an audience? Did it release at the height of superhero fatigue? Did the marketing do more harm than good? No one quite knows the answer.
