It seems that the official Superman runtime isn't that different than the rumored 122 minutes

With each passing day, the release date of Superman (July 11, 2025) comes closer. Last week, rumors started doing the rounds that that the DCU movie headlined by the Man of Steel is approximately 122 minutes (2 hours and 2 minutes) long. However, writer-director James Gunn debunked the 122-minute runtime theory on his social media account when a fan asked if it was indeed the final runtime. Gunn said:

"That is not correct. It's almost totally locked — meaning we're just finishing a couple VFX shots over the weekend — but that's not the running time."

Now, Gunn himself has confirmed that the movie is complete and that the official runtime of Superman is 129 minutes (2 hours and 9 minutes), meaning the final and official runtime is not that different from the rumored runtime.

What did James Gunn say about Superman's runtime?

On Thursday, June 5, 2025, a fan took a screenshot from the AMC website stating that Superman's runtime is 2 hours and 9 minutes. They posted the screenshot to James Gunn and asked the latter if the runtime listed on the AMC website is accurate. Gunn responded positively and even hinted at a post-credit scene. The exact words of Gunn, who is also co-CEO of DC Studios, were:

"Yes. Inclusive of credits/post credits the runtime is 2 hours 9 minutes."

Thus, it seems that the rumored runtime from last week is just a few minutes off from the official runtime.

What is the Superman movie about?

The first project in the newly-minted DCU (DC Universe) is the risque animated series, Creature Commandos. However, the major test for this cinematic universe is Superman, starring David Corenswet as the titular hero, and directed by James Gunn. The pressure to deliver on this movie is immense because of the baggage associated with the previous iteration of the Man of Steel.

While details of the movie are sparse as of now, this week we learnt that James Gunn has a trick up his sleeve to attract millennials who grew up watching Smallville.

Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum and Tom Welling participated in a Fan Expo panel in Dallas. Fan asked Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor in the CW show, if he is open to returning in the new DCU, to which the actor replied:

“I don’t know. James asked me to do something fun, so I have a couple of lines that I voice. It’s funny, in a way... Anyway, there was nothing in this one, but he’s the head of DC, so I think he can stick me in a movie or something. He’s thoughtful, so I hope that happens. But I think the movie’s gonna be great. It comes out on my birthday!”

Then, Welling, who played young Clark Kent in Smallville, added:

“I will say, to your point, I’ve never seen anything that involved Michael go wrong. Everything that exists, or that is going to happen? Once [Michael] gets involved, it’s better.”

This had fans excited for the upcoming movie.