UPDATE: James Gunn has confirmed the Superman (2025) runtime is 2hrs 9min. “Yes. Inclusive of credits/post credits the runtime is 2 hours 9 minutes,” said Gunn. That makes it just 14 minutes shorter than Man of Steel.
James Gunn isn’t here to waste your time. According to new reports online, his upcoming Superman film, the first official entry in DC Studios’ new DCU slate, clocks in at a tidy 122-minute runtime. That’s 2 hours and 2 minutes—about 20 minutes shorter than Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013), which ran for 143 minutes.
Why the shorter runtime? Well, unlike Snyder’s version, which spent a good chunk of its opening act on Krypton with Russell Crowe’s Jor-El fighting Zod, Gunn’s Superman skips the origin story entirely. In fact, when the film opens, Clark Kent is already flying around in the red-and-blue suit and everyone—including Lois Lane—already knows he’s Superman. There’s no more glasses-as-a-disguise nonsense. Just straight-up hero stuff.
This change alone saves about 30 minutes of screentime usually spent explaining why Krypton exploded, who Zod is, and why baby Kal-El was launched into space.
What’s interesting is how this runtime stacks up against the rest of Superman’s cinematic past. Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie (1978) ran a whopping 143 minutes. Superman II was 127 minutes. Superman Returns was 154 minutes. Even Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had time to squeeze in 152 minutes of moody brooding and Martha-related drama. And then there’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League—which basically requires a lunch break at the halfway point with its four-hour runtime (242 minutes, if you’re counting). Only Superman IV: The Quest for Peace came in shorter than Gunn’s new take, at just 90 minutes. And that’s a film most of us try to pretend never existed.
So, what does a brisk 2-hour Superman movie mean for fans?
More action, for one. Based on what we’ve seen so far—multiple fight sequences in trailers, fast-paced editing, and that optimistic tone Gunn keeps teasing—this film looks like it’s trading slow-motion existential walks for kinetic storytelling. You won’t see Superman standing on a mountain staring into the distance while Chris Cornell plays in the background. This Kal-El has things to do.
And while some critics online have labelled it a “kids’ film,” the PG-13 rating (accidentally confirmed through a toy commercial) says otherwise. Kids’ films don’t usually run this long—Lilo & Stitch is 85 minutes. Gunn’s Superman clearly isn’t just for 10-year-olds.
With tickets expected to go on sale soon and the July 11, 2025 UK release date fast approaching, fans can look forward to a leaner, meaner Superman. One that doesn’t overstay his welcome or drag through a 45-minute Kryptonian history lesson.
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