‘Endgame’ Was the Ending. Marvel Just Turned It Into the Beginning of ‘Doomsday.’

Seven years after Avengers: Endgame had us saying goodbye to Tony Stark, Marvel is asking us to walk back into that theater. This time, the credits might be where things get really interesting.

Avengers Endgame: Encore arrives in theaters September 25 with new footage and a special end tag in select premium formats. The Russo brothers have made it clear that this return is tied to Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters in December. According to Joe Russo, the new material includes footage set within the Doomsday story.

That changes the pitch. This is more than another chance to watch Cap lift Mjolnir with a crowd, though, hell yes, I’ll take that too. Marvel is using one of its biggest endings to set up its next massive beginning.

Why go back to Endgame?

In a new interview published by Marvel, Anthony Russo discusses the connection between Encore and Doomsday. The directors have described the rerelease as a bridge between the films, and Joe has called it “required viewing” for following the upcoming story.

That is a bold thing to say about a movie most Marvel fans already know by heart. It suggests the additions matter, even if Marvel is keeping the details close to its chest.

Then there’s the elephant in the room: Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom. The man whose Iron Man gave Endgame its emotional finish is coming back as the villain of the next Avengers film. Naturally, fans are going to examine every second of the new footage for a clue. Marvel has not said that Doom appears in Encore, so any claim about what the added scenes reveal is still speculation.

One last trip to the end of an era

Part of the fun here is getting Endgame back on a huge screen. That final battle was built for a packed theater, and hearing an audience react to it again should be a blast.

But Encore also has a job to do. Endgame closed a chapter. Doomsday is about to throw open another one, with familiar faces returning under very different circumstances. If the Russos are telling fans to revisit the ending before the next story begins, I’m paying attention.

Avengers Endgame: Encore opens September 25. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for December 18.

Source: Marvel’s Anthony Russo interview