Justice League's Shorter Run Time Could Be A Bad Thing

The DC Extended Universe is bringing things full-circle with Zack Snyder's Justice League, building on the threats of alien invasion which he laid down in 2013's Man of Steel and 2015's Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. As Steppenwolf brings over Darkseid's army from Apokolips in search of three valuable Mother Boxes, it's safe to say audiences expect a story of epic proportions. All of this makes it very odd, then, that the film stands as the DC Extended Universe's shortest film to date at 121 minutes, a decision that was reportedly directly ordered by the CEO of Warner Bros., Kevin Tsujihara.

The majority of the DCEU's movies have endured heavy criticism for their storytelling, so it leaves us wondering if a shortened narrative is the best direction to go in. This comes on the heels of this year's Wonder Woman, a film that ran for nearly two and a half hours and helped Warner Bros.' superhero universe recalibrate its tone and overall translation of superhero films. With half of the Justice League being newly introduced here, as well as villains we've never seen before, fans do have valid concerns over this film's runtime.

Proper Assembly Required

The DCEU's three biggest films -- Man of Steel (143 minutes), BvS (151 minutes) and Wonder Woman (141 minutes) -- were all fairly long. Director Zack Snyder's two movies, despite the heat they got, provided proper detail and background story as to how Superman evolved from a rash defender to a selfless symbol of hope, how Batman moved from bitter vigilante to an inspired hero once more, all while introducing Wonder Woman to the big screen for the first time (her LEGO Movie minifig appearance notwithstanding).

Patty Jenkins also had ample screen time to mold Diana of Themyscira as a proper demi-god, informing audiences as to why she entered the fray in BvS and Justice League. Now, Snyder and Joss Whedon are adding three new heroes to the fold in Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg, and reviving a dead Superman, all in just about two hours. It won't be easy shaping the League as a well-oiled unit in such a short space of time. That's a lot to get done in a single film, regardless of the runtime, and the challenge is even great if the team's chemistry is meant to feel organic and believable.

And then, there's the matter of the League's first major nemesis...

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Great%20Villains%20Need%20Adequate%20Screentime']

Great Villains Need Adequate Screentime

We have yet to be exposed to the treacherous Steppenwolf as Darkseid's hound, so his entire backstory will have to be established, developed and explained in Justice League. A shortened story will cut into the screen-time of both Steppenwolf and his master, most likely leading to a reliance on quick flashbacks. While they may work, a truly in-depth backstory would be the best option for the evil New Gods, especially if we're to truly understand what fuels their ambition, and why Earth has always been on their radar.

One thing Justice League has to accomplish is to differentiate its villain(s) from Zod and his soldiers, and delving into Apokolips' history would the the ideal way to achieve this. The Marvel Cinematic Universe had already fleshed out Loki before he was used in The Avengers, allowing Whedon to focus on building the team without having to worry about explaining Loki's motivations. Snyder and Whedon have some serious ground to make up if they're hoping to fashion Steppenwolf and Darkseid as villains with a real purpose. A reduced runtime may well limit how deep they can go with these despots and their own sub-stories.

Shorter Stories Don't Always Pack A Punch

2016's Suicide Squad came in at 123 minutes, and while Warner Bros. was clearly aiming for something tighter and punchier than previous DCEU films, the studio got arguably the weakest film in the bunch. What's even more more ominous is that it was an ensemble film as well, uniting the likes of Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc as Amanda Waller's black-ops squad of anti-heroes. Sadly, and to the detriment of the movie's story, not everyone got proper air time.

The result of the shorter story was a movie that felt wobbly and disconnected, and which ended up bigger on style than substance. These are mistakes Justice League can't afford to make, especially with so much of the DCEU's future resting on its shoulders.

Chance Of A Diminished Finale

A reduced runtime could also mean a rushed finale, which would be a true disappointment as extended, action-packed finales have become a staple of DCEU films. The longer finales are positively filled with comic book grandeur. When the DCEU bucked this trend with Suicide Squad's finale pitting the team against Enchantress and Incubus, things fell flat.

Wonder Woman suffered somewhat from a diminished finale, thanks to a shortened battle against Ares. While the rest of the film was solid enough to overcome the disappointing climactic battle, Jenkins' ending did leave audiences feeling underwhelmed.

Possibility Of The DCEU's Tone Compromised

The DCEU has shifted its tone from the dark, gritty visions of Snyder and David Ayer to one of light and hope, as embodied by Wonder Woman. That doesn't mean Jenkins eliminated the intense action the DCEU prides itself on, though. That was there, in spades, but she balanced the scales between humor and levity, finding what seems to be a working formula that could be applied to future DCEU offerings.

Justice League appears to be attempting to follow suit, maintaining Snyder's brand of action, but with color and comedy. However, the reduced runtime could spell a potential problem in that the essence of the DCEU may find itself shifting too drastically towards humor over drama. Joss Whedon ended up finishing this project, with Snyder stepping away due to a family tragedy, so coupling his vision with a condensed runtime may throw the DCEU in a direction that values more laughs than action.

Whatever the case, audiences will find out soon enough. While the news that reviews of the movie have been embargoed to right before it releases are somewhat troubling (could the studio be trying to hide something?), early reactions have been generally positive. One report suggests Justice League is testing to near Wonder Woman levels, which is surely a positive sign, but its still not enough to leave us wondering whether shortening the film will ultimately be a bad choice.

Justice League hits theaters on Nov. 17 and stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.