James Gunn Sets 'Superman' Runtime, Denies WB Made Him Shorten It
James Gunn's DC Universe (DCU) kick-starter Superman now has a confirmed runtime, with the writer and director denying rumours that parent company Warner Bros. 'forced' its relatively shorter length.
Opening in cinemas on 11 July this year, Superman will clock in at two hours and nine minutes, inclusive of its credits, a number confirmed by Gunn on social network Threads. By comparison, 2013's Man of Steel ran for two hours and 14 minutes, while its 2016 follow-up, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, ran for two hours and 31 minutes.
While its two-hour runtime might not seem that short in the context of modern superhero films, Superman is set to feature a plethora of side characters such as Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, sparking questions on how the film would include them all into its brisk pace while ensuring they are more fleshed out rather than mere cameos.
Perhaps one way the film would circumvent its shorter runtime is by removing the origins element of Superman completely, with its trailers making it seem like the superhero is already an established name in the eyes of the public, and Gunn himself previously stating that he was uninterested in making yet another Superman origin story. In addition, Gunn also explained during an Instagram Live session that the film would focus solely on Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, and wouldn't be an ensemble piece à la The Avengers .
Alongside unveiling the film's runtime, Gunn was also quick to shoot down rumours that Warner Bros. had forced him to shorten the film. 'Zero truth to that,' he replied to a comment on Threads, 'And they couldn't even if that's something that they wanted to. It's a DC Studios film.'
With this statement, it seems clear that the director has creative control when it comes to his rebooted DCU, which does help to alleviate some of the concerns surrounding Superman's shorter runtime when it hits theatres on 11 July 2025.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. DC Universe James Gunn Superman
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
7 hours ago
- Geek Culture
'Resident Evil: Requiem' Takes New Heroine Back To Raccoon City In Feb 2026
Capcom has brought the next chapter in the Resident Evil franchise to life, and a new protagonist is set to take centre stage. Revealed at Summer Game Fest 2025 as the livestream's closing announcement, Resident Evil: Requiem will take fans back to where it all started when it releases on 27 February 2026, marking a welcome return to its roots. The trailer gives a first look at Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent related to Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak , the first title in the series to feature co-op gameplay and online multiplayer support, who's tasked to look into a series of strange deaths at the scene of her mother's murder. The clip then cuts to her strapped to a gurney, with a shadowy figure in a chair saying, 'I know now that you're the one that I've searching for… special one. Chosen one.' A destroyed Raccoon City also makes an appearance, complete with the remnants of Raccoon City police department and the bomb mark that took it out in Resident Evil 3 . Not much else is known about the upcoming title, but it will feature 'spine-chilling realism like never before, with complex character details like lifelike facial expressions, realistic skin textures, and even high-fidelity sweat droplets that are sure to keep players on the edge of their seats.' The official blurb is as follows: 'Prepare to escape death in a heart-stopping experience that will chill you to your core. A new era of survival horror begins in 2026. Technological advancements combined with the development team's depth of experience combine in a story with rich characters and gameplay that's more immersive than ever before.' The arrival of Resident Evil: Requiem has been highly anticipated, following a tease during its summer stream last July, and more recently, amid the celebration of 10 million players for Resident Evil 4 Remake . It got the rumour mill going, which suggested an open-world setting and a conclusion to the story current story arcs, alongside a new beginning for the franchise's future. Resident Evil: Requiem hits PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on 27 February 2026. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Geek Culture
Apple Study Shows App Store Powered US$1.3 Trillion In Sales For 2024
Apple has announced that the global App Store ecosystem has facilitated US$1.3 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2024, an impressive feat supplemented by the fact that for more than 90 percent of said earnings, developers did not pay any commission to the company. According to a new study by Boston University Questrom School of Business professor Andrey Fradkin and Analysis Group's Dr. Jessica Burley, developer billings and sales for digital goods and services on the App Store totalled US$131 billion in 2024, a figure driven by games, apps and enterprise tools. Sales of physical goods and services rose to US$1 trillion that year, while in-app advertising revenue stood at US$150 billion. The study also found that billings and sales facilitated by the App Store ecosystem over the past five years more than doubled in the United States, China, and Europe. Additionally, digital payment spending grew sevenfold in the U.S. since 2019, while online grocery spending grew fivefold in China. Other notable increases include spending on apps that support digital content creation, such as photo and video editing apps like Adobe creative tools, which has seen a steady increase over the last five years. 'It's incredible to see so many developers design great apps, build successful businesses, and reach Apple users around the world,' said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement, 'This report is a testament to the many ways developers are enriching people's lives with app and game experiences, while creating opportunity and driving new innovations. We're proud to support their success.' WWDC 2024 To fuel its support for developers, Apple has invested in the tools needed to help them better distribute their apps and games on the App Store, including its commerce system that features support for over 40 local currencies and seamless tax handling in nearly 200 regions, alongside services like Xcode, App Analytics and Product Page Optimisation to help developers test their apps while monitoring and improving performance. Outside of the App Store, Apple also offers various online and in-person programmes to empower developers to elevate their apps, including Meet with Apple sessions, Apple Developer Academies and over 20 Apple Foundation Programmes, allowing budding developers to not only build their app creation skills but also further improve their created apps. Furthermore, at Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference from 9 to 13 June, developers worldwide will also have access to over 100 technical sessions with Apple experts, guiding them through its latest technologies and frameworks and supporting their development journey. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. app store Apple Apple App Store
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Geek Culture
'Alien: Earth' Trailer Hints At 5 Different Terrifying Life Forms, Including...A Predator?
FX is bringing extraterrestrial life forms closer to home, and it promises a terrifying time. The network has dropped the full trailer for Alien: Earth , which sets up the premise of the eight-episode prequel series — a crashed spacecraft brings a group of tactical (and synthetic) soldiers face to face with the all-too-familiar Xenomorph on Earth. But the alien isn't the only threat standing in their way. 'This ship collected five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe. Monsters… Invasive species. Predatory,' says a character in the clip, followed by quick glimpses of various creatures, including a Facehugger, a giant jelly species, another bowl-shaped scuttler with tentacles, and more new, uh, friends. It was previously revealed that the show would feature five different species, so it's nice to have that confirmation in canon. While not explicitly shown, the Predator may be one of these monsters, as its iconic clicking noise can be heard at two points in the trailer. The use of the word 'predatory' also seems to be rather deliberate, and it's worth remembering that the trailer for Predator: Badlands has overt crossover references to the Alien franchise — namely, the Weyland-Yutani branding in the protagonist's eye and corporate vehicles. Set two years before Ridley Scott's original movie (for reference, Romulus takes place between the first and second movie), Alien: Earth is helmed by Fargo creator Noah Hawley, who also serves as executive producer alongside Scott. The official logline reads: 'In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named 'Wendy' marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani's spaceship collides into Prodigy City, 'Wendy' and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.' Sydney Chandler ( Pistol, Don't Worry Darling ) plays Wendy, with lex Lawther ( The End of the F***ing World ), Timothy Olyphant ( Deadwood ), Essie Davis ( The Babadook ), Samuel Blenkin ( The Witcher: Blood Origin ), Babou Ceesay ( Severance ), David Rysdahl ( No Exit ), Adrian Edmondson ( The Young Ones ), Adarsh Gourav ( The White Tiger ), Jonathan Ajayi ( The Drifters ), Erana James ( The Wilds ), Lily Newmark ( Cursed ), Diem Camille ( The Great Silence ), and Moe Bar-El ( Honour ) rounding out the ensemble cast. Alien: Earth will premiere on FX and Hulu (or Disney+ outside of the U.S.) on 12 August. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Alien Alien: Earth Disney FX
