Endgame Encore Re-Release Adds Four Doomsday Teasers, Draws $3.8M in Previews

Key points

• Avengers: Endgame: Encore added four minutes of new footage, including an alternate ending where Loki visits Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter.
• The re-release earned $3.8 million in previews, surpassing the $3.4 million preview total for the 2025 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith re-release.
• New scenes show Doctor Doom kidnapping Bruce Banner and the Time Variance Authority detecting the collapse of 3,000 universes due to incursions.
• Anthony Russo stated the new scenes were filmed during Doomsday production to maintain the emotional weight of the original 2019 film.
• Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to release on December 18, 2026, the same day as Dune: Part 3.

Background

In August 2026, Marvel announced the re-release of Avengers: Endgame to build anticipation for Avengers: Doomsday. Earlier coverage noted that Joe Russo declared Endgame essential viewing for understanding the new film. The re-release was designed to bridge the gap between the 2019 conclusion of the Infinity Saga and the upcoming multiverse event, with fans speculating that Steve Rogers' time travel would trigger incursions.

How outlets are covering it

Gizmodo and Variety detailed the specific content of the four new scenes, noting that the alternate ending featuring Loki and the incursion scenes in the Time Variance Authority were the most significant teases. Variety highlighted that the Doom/Banner scene occurs after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Deadline focused on the financial performance, noting that the $3.8 million preview total exceeded expectations and that the film is competing with A24's Primetime and Paramount's Heart of the Beast for the top spot. Marvel.com provided the director's perspective, with Anthony Russo emphasizing that the new scenes were added to honor the emotional connection of the original film without altering its core narrative. A Variety commenter noted that the second Loki scene was not shown in all theaters, only in Infinity Vision certified screens.

Why it matters

The success of the Endgame: Encore re-release indicates strong audience interest in the Avengers franchise and the potential for Avengers: Doomsday to become a major box office hit. The new scenes confirm that the MCU is moving toward a multiverse collapse narrative, involving characters from different universes, including the Fox X-Men. The strong preview numbers suggest that the December 18 release could compete with Dune: Part 3 for the top spot.

What to watch

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to release on December 18, 2026. Box office analysts expect the Endgame: Encore re-release to open between $25 million and $30 million. The film will compete with Resident Evil, Primetime, Heart of the Beast, and Forgotten Island in the weekend box office.