If the largest seller of movie tickets online is a reputable source for such things, we can now confirm that Marvel Studios has officially ventured into unknown territory with its 22nd film. According to Fandango, “Avengers: Endgame” is officially over 3 hours long, clocking in at a whopping 182 minutes. And while eclipsing the run-time of the $2 billion behemoth ‘Infinity War,’ by just 22 minutes, doesn’t seem like a lot on paper, the extra length might have a bit of a ripple effect that could affect the box office of the new ‘Avengers’ film.
Early predictions from analysts confirmed that ‘Endgame’ is probably going to beat the record opening-weekend that Marvel Studios set last year with ‘Infinity War.’ To do that, ‘Endgame’ would have to play almost on a constant loop in every theater in North America, right? Well, the other factor that comes into play is just how many times a theater is able to show the new ‘Avengers’ film in a weekend. Adding 22 minutes to the run-time, eclipsing the three-hour mark means that each screening will last almost a half-hour longer, which, multiplied over the course of the day, means there will be fewer times that ‘Endgame’ will be shown in a given day.
That is, unless the multiplexes open up even more screens for ‘Endgame,’ which could be an option, but not for all theaters.
Of course, the three-hour mark isn’t just a logistical issue, but also a psychological one, as well. Superhero film fans, over the course of the last decade, have been conditioned to expect each film to clock in at two-and-a-half hours in length. You prepare for it by buying enough snacks, using the bathroom beforehand, and hoping your body can sit still for the run-time. But for many casual movie-goers, the idea of a “3-hour movie” is daunting. It’s the same effect that makes $9.95 per month sound a whole lot better than $10 per month for a new streaming service. “Two and a half hours” just sounds a lot more reasonable than “3 hours,” you know?
But for many die-hards, the run-time will be seen as a win. Remember when Zack Snyder released the extended cut of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which lengthened the already-long film to almost 3-and-a-half hours? The big-time fans celebrated and called it the “definitive” version, while many just couldn’t even imagine a time when that length seemed like a reasonable investment of time.
Look, the truth is that no matter what, “Avengers: Endgame” is going to make well over a billion dollars, and likely more than $2 billion, like ‘Infinity War.’ However, if this 3-hour run-time is real, then it’s going to be interesting to see if Marvel Studios earns slightly less than what the company is hoping for.
“Avengers: Endgame” hits theaters on April 26. Prepare your bladder accordingly.
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