Marvel just pulled off one of the boldest re-release plays in years. Avengers Endgame Encore — a retitled version of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame — is back in theaters this weekend. The new cut adds four minutes of never-before-seen footage that bridges the Infinity Saga directly to December’s Avengers: Doomsday.
And the box office is responding. The re-release pulled in an estimated $11 million on Friday. It is now tracking for a $23 million to $26 million opening weekend across 3,060 theaters, according to Deadline. For a seven-year-old film, those numbers are remarkable.
Avengers Endgame Encore’s 4 New Scenes Explained
Marvel shot the four new scenes during Doomsday production, according to Variety. Director Anthony Russo told Marvel.com the team refused to tamper with the original film. “We weren’t going to mess with what that movie is,” he said. Instead, the additions deepen the story while teasing what lies ahead.
Scene one brings back Loki. It lands during Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter’s closing dance. Steve has hung up the shield and passed it to Sam Wilson. He is finally home with Peggy. Then comes a knock at the door. Loki stands there in his Time Variance Authority uniform. He has apparently come to discuss the unstable timeline branch Steve created. The last time fans saw Loki, he was holding the multiverse together at the end of Loki Season 2.
Scene two heads to the TVA. Mobius, Casey, O.B. and Miss Minutes detect something terrifying. Two Earths are about to collide in an incursion. Then more worlds start colliding and vanishing. The entire multiverse is collapsing. The scene reportedly sets up the arrival of Fox’s X-Men in the MCU. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and Channing Tatum will all appear in Doomsday.
The Doctor Doom Credits Scenes in the Endgame Re-release
Scene three is the big credits moment. It picks up after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Bruce Banner hides out in an underground bunker. He is working on a serum to stop his transformations. This follows his loss of control in the Spider-Man film, where Jean Grey reportedly took control of his mind. Then Doctor Doom smashes into the facility. Bruce transforms into the Hulk to face him. The scene ends before the fight begins.
Scene four closes the film. It flashes images of Doctor Doom forging his metal mask. The sequence uses the same metal-clanging sound that ended the original Endgame. Fans long ago realized that sound came from Iron Man, when Tony Stark forged his first armor. The parallel hints that Doom and Iron Man may share mirrored origins. Robert Downey Jr. plays both characters.
Avengers Endgame Encore Box Office: A Stacked Weekend
Endgame Encore leads a surprisingly crowded frame. Four films are each grossing more than $20 million this weekend. Sony’s Resident Evil revamp is tracking for $22 million in its second frame. It should cross $100 million domestically by Sunday. Paramount’s Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt, is eyeing $20.5 million. A24’s Primetime, with Robert Pattinson, could also pass $20 million.
As a result, the top five films may combine for $95 million to $98 million. That would make it the best final September weekend since 2018. It would also be the strongest post-Covid frame for this time of year. The re-release earned $3.8 million in Thursday previews. That beat last year’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith re-release.
Meanwhile, the trailer drew 77 million views in 24 hours. That quadrupled the record for a re-release trailer. The film is playing on 1,300 premium “Infinity Vision” large-format screens and 390 IMAX locations. Overseas, it is looking at $25 million for the weekend. The global total could reach $50 million.
There is also a bigger question in play. Avengers: Endgame sits at $2.799 billion worldwide. That makes it the second-highest-grossing film ever, behind Avatar at $2.92 billion. The gap is $124 million. Disney is reportedly in wait-and-see mode on whether the re-release can close it before Doomsday opens. On the film side, Netflix is betting big on event cinema too — it just revealed a first look at The Hunchback, Soul of Paris.
What the Encore Means for Avengers: Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday arrives on December 18. It lands the same day as Dune: Part 3, setting up a box office clash fans are calling “Dunesday.” In his Marvel.com interview, Russo described the film as following heroes from different universes on a deadly collision course. Downey stars as Victor Von Doom, a sharp contrast to his heroic Tony Stark.
Russo also reflected on why this re-release matters. The original Endgame arrived just months before COVID shut theaters down. “To be able to see that theatrical experience regain strength and vigor over the years since then has been really important to us,” he said. For Marvel, the Encore is both a celebration and a launchpad. In addition to the new scenes, IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings include an extra sneak peek.
Finally, fans who want the full picture should catch it on the biggest screen possible. Avengers Endgame Encore is now playing in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday follows on December 18. It has been a packed month for Disney announcements, by the way — Disney+ just ordered a Darkwing Duck reboot with Mark Hamill and Seth Rogen.