With Avengers Endgame: Encore returning to theatres on September 25, Marvel has once again found a way to make a seven-year-old film part of the MCU conversation. The re-release was already being billed as more than a nostalgia-driven theatrical encore, with the Russo brothers teasing fresh footage that would connect the events of Endgame to Avengers: Doomsday. Joe Russo had even called the new version “required viewing” for following the upcoming film.
That promise has now become considerably more intriguing after footage from early international screenings began surfacing online. The leaked material has reportedly been circulated across social media, with Disney issuing copyright takedowns as fans continue to repost the clips. While the exact presentation can vary depending on the format, reports suggest the new material runs to roughly four minutes, apart from the new introduction featuring Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans.
Spoilers ahead: The reported additions to Endgame Encore appear to do much more than simply tease Doomsday. They revisit Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter, bring Loki back into Steve's life, put Bruce Banner directly in Doctor Doom's path and, most significantly, show the multiverse beginning to collapse. Four sequences have now been described by multiple outlets, although some details and the order in which they appear remain inconsistent between reports.
The first major change comes at the very end of Endgame. Steve and Peggy's long-awaited dance is reportedly extended, with the couple interrupted by a knock at the door. Peggy answers to find Loki, who tells them he can help them. The moment seemingly connects the alternate timeline Steve chose to live in with the larger multiversal story that has unfolded since Loki. Reports have also linked this sequence to the Earth-8282 timeline, which is expected to have relevance to Doomsday. Interestingly, this meeting between Loki and Steve Rogers also momentarily made it to the trailer.
The most direct Doomsday setup, however, comes through Bruce Banner. Following the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Banner is reportedly living in isolation inside an underground facility and attempting to develop a way of suppressing his gamma-powered alter ego. His video log makes it clear that he is deliberately keeping the Hulk contained. That plan does not last long. Doctor Doom's presence is heard rather than clearly shown, with the villain telling Banner, “I've come to collect you,” before the situation escalates and Banner transforms. Green light and Latverian symbols are reportedly seen as the scene ends. This sequence has aroused curiosity about whether Doomsday will indeed feature the Hulk as Maestro, with no sign of Bruce Banner inside the green giant.
Another short sequence reportedly gives new meaning to one of Endgame's most recognisable audio cues. The hammering heard during the original film's credits, which evoked Tony Stark constructing his first Iron Man suit, is now accompanied by footage of Doctor Doom apparently forging his own mask. The visual parallel has already prompted speculation about Doom's connection to Stark, although the scene itself does not establish that Doom is a Tony Stark variant.
The biggest multiverse reveal reportedly comes from the TVA. Mobius, Ouroboros and other TVA personnel discover that Earth-10005, associated with the Fox X-Men universe, and Earth-1127 are on a collision course. The situation escalates as the two universes begin firing missiles at each other, while TVA monitors reveal similar incursions taking place elsewhere. According to reports, as many as 3,000 incursions are shown, with Ouroboros ultimately declaring that the multiverse is collapsing.
The TVA sequence reportedly also flashes several realities that have already been destroyed, including the universe associated with Eric Bana's Hulk, the 2015 Fantastic Four universe and the What If...? universe. The reported use of 3,000 collapsing universes has also been interpreted by some outlets as a possible callback to Tony Stark's “I love you 3,000” line from Endgame, though that connection remains an interpretation rather than something Marvel has officially explained.
Interestingly, the leaks also explain why Marvel has been positioning Endgame: Encore as a bridge rather than merely a re-release. The new scenes appear to establish three threads heading into Doomsday: Loki's involvement with Steve and Peggy's alternate timeline, Doctor Doom's interest in Hulk and a multiverse-wide crisis that could bring several previously separate Marvel realities together. The Russo brothers had previously said that the new material would “connect the story of the two movies,” and the leaked footage appears to show exactly where that connection begins.
There is still some uncertainty around the leaks. Some reports noted that early descriptions differed over the number and order of the sequences, while others reported that the footage appears to differ between standard and Infinity Vision screenings. Regular screenings reportedly contain the extended Steve-Peggy sequence and Doom's mask scene, while select premium screenings add the larger Hulk and TVA sequences.
With Avengers: Doomsday scheduled to arrive on December 18, the unusual strategy makes Endgame: Encore functions almost like a missing chapter between the MCU's Infinity Saga finale and its next multiversal Avengers event.