Marvel Studios appears to be turning nostalgia into homework. Ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, the Russo brothers have revealed that fans may want to return to Avengers: Endgame — not merely for a refresher, but because the upcoming theatrical re-release will have a direct connection to the next Avengers film.
Joe Russo, who is directing Doomsday with Anthony Russo, has described Avengers: Endgame Encore as “required viewing” for audiences who want to follow the story of the December release. The special theatrical version of the 2019 blockbuster will feature additional material and a preview of Doomsday and will hit cinemas on September 25.
Speaking to Fandango, Joe Russo explained that the new presentation will establish a narrative bridge between the two films. He said there is a “natural progression from Endgame into Doomsday”, while also incorporating developments from the Marvel stories released in the years since Endgame.
Anthony Russo further teased that the new material could offer something even long-time Marvel fans will not see coming. “If you saw Endgame when it was originally released, you couldn’t see this coming,” he said.
At 185 minutes, Endgame Encore is only around four minutes longer than the original theatrical version. However, those additional minutes could prove significant, with the re-release set to include an exclusive glimpse of Doomsday. The film will also return to Indian theatres on September 25 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
The re-release also gives Marvel another shot at the box-office record books. Endgame currently stands at around $2.79 billion worldwide, while Avatar remains ahead with approximately $2.9 billion. A strong run for the Encore version could potentially put Endgame back in contention for the all-time global record.
Meanwhile, Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to release on December 18. The film brings back Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU in a completely different avatar as Doctor Doom and features an enormous ensemble that includes Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, among others.