“The Batman” Runtime Reveals one of the Longest Superhero Movies Ever

The Batman has already surpassed all previous stand-alone films based on Gotham’s Dark Knight in one way—it’s going to be the longest film in the franchise. Writer/director Matt Reeves’s forthcoming trip to Gotham has a runtime of two hours and fifty-five minutes, topping Christopher Nolan’s trilogy capping The Dark Knight Rises, which ran to two hours and forty-four minutes.

The Hollywood Reporter scooped the runtime, which we should note includes eight minutes of credits, via insiders at Warner Bros. Not only does The Batman‘s runtime exceed any previous Batman film, but it also makes it one of the longest superhero films ever, behind only Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, which took three hours and one minute to wrap up (and is the number two top-grossing film of all time).

If you want to get technical, however, there’s another superhero film that is by far the longest and will likely never be topped, and that’s because it never played in theaters. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is four hours and two minutes long, but as you likely know Snyder’s director’s cut was released exclusively on HBO Max. The onscreen version, which was ultimately finished by Joss Whedon, was a pedestrian two hours long.

As for The Batman, this meaty runtime means Robert Pattison has plenty of time to ply his vigilante trade as the new Bruce Wayne. It also gives the great ensemble more room, including Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/The Riddler, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. Reeves has promised a noir detective feel to his superhero story, and it seems he’s carved out enough runway to tell this particular Gotham-set tale the way he wants.

The Batman swoops into theaters, nearly three hours worth of it, on March 4.

For more on The Batman, check out these stories:

“The Batman” Drops Two New Posters Highlighting a Different Kind of Gotham

Robert Pattinson Hints His Batman Isn’t Straight-Up Heroic

“The Batman” New Images Includes the Riddler, the Penguin, & Catwoman

New “The Batman” Images Tease Catwoman’s Crucial Role

“The Batman” Drops New “Bat and The Cat” Trailer

Featured image: Caption: ROBERT PATTINSON as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE BATMAN,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/ ™ & © DC Comics