Avengers: Endgame is getting re-released with new footage ahead of the next film in the franchise, Avengers: Doomsday – and it looks set to end Avatar’s reign as the highest-grossing film of all time.
The new cut of Endgame – which will officially be titled Avengers: Endgame Encore – has been described as a “critical companion story” to the forthcoming Avengers film, which is going to be released in December and will reintroduce Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr as a villain.
Disney announced the news to cinema exhibitors at CineEurope in Barcelona, who are hoping it’ll prove a big draw when it arrives; Endgame is currently the second highest-grossing film of all time, with box office takings of $2.797bn.
The film overtook the current number one, fantasy epic Avatar (2009), when it was first released in 2019, but an Avatar re-release pushed James Cameron’s film back into pole position in 2021, with overall takings of $2,923bn. Both films are owned by Disney.
Avengers: Endgame Encore will have to pull in $127m to become the most successful film ever, which looks like an easy task considering the film will feature scenes “set in the Doomsday story” and will “create a bridge” between both films “in a very unique way”.
Alongside the additional footage, the film will feature a special end tag exclusive to Infinity Vision, a new screen experience in the world’s largest theatres.
Doomsday will have one of the most packed ensembles in film history, bringing back the majority of every main Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero introduced since 2008, as well as several stars of the X-Men franchise, including Sir Ian McKellen and James Marsden.
Downey Jr, who previously starred as Iron Man in the MCU, will play the antagonist Doctor Doom. His return will arrive seven years after Avengers: Endgame, which saw him leave the MCU.
The bumper cast also features several other returning stars, such as Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Falcon/Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Letitia Wright (Black Panther’s Shuri).
Captain America star Chris Evans, who left the MCU in Endgame, will also return – but he’s credited as Steve Rogers, and not his superhero alter ego.
Directing brothers Anthony and Joe Russo called the film “bigger than anything we have ever done”.
“This movie is, to say the least, a big one for us,” they said in a presentation reel released at Disney convention D23 in August. “We are bringing together so many of your favourite heroes to face one of the greatest threats to the MCU.”
Avengers: Endgame Encore will arrive in November, while Avengers: Doomsday will be released on 18 December 2026.
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