MCU: 10 Netflix Mistakes The Disney Plus TV Shows MUST Avoid
2. Having Hour-Long Run-Times For EVERY Episode
Over-extended longevity has already been cited as a problem, yes! But making things too long was damaging on another, more molecular, level. Particularly in the later seasons, the shows really suffered from the hour-long per-ep thing which should only really have been reserved for the finales.
Sure, lots of shows have this as their standard run-time, but does it really work in the case of action superhero stories? 58 minutes apiece, ad break time not-applicable: In reality, this kind of length is frustrating and tiresome to watch. It seems less of a creative free-swim for producers and more of a painstaking grind to fill in the appropriate amount of waffle.
For a standard series of this nature, the good old fashioned 45-minute format is surely the most appropriate length. It's the perfect time to place three acts of well balanced storytelling, without the temptation to go off the deep end with irrelevant detail. Having a restrictive time frame also allows writers to be more diligent and imaginative with their content, with those essential dramatic moments becoming snappier and all the better for it.