Marvel figured out the one trick that works on every one of us: staple four minutes of new footage onto Avengers: Endgame, slap “Encore” on the poster, and watch nerds who swore they were done paying to rewatch stuff fold like lawn chairs. Good news if you held out: you don’t have to buy a ticket anymore.
Avengers Endgame: Encore hits Disney+ this Friday, November 13. And to make sure nobody walks into Avengers: Doomsday on December 18 going “wait, who’s that guy?”, Marvel also dropped a new “Countdown to Doomsday” spot and an official watch list. Homework. In November. Thanks, Kevin.
So what the hell is Encore?
It’s the 2019 movie you’ve already cried at, just tweaked. Disney+ describes it as an updated cut with new color grading and additional scenes that link to Doomsday. Variety counted four new scenes adding up to about four minutes, all shot during Doomsday‘s production to bridge the two movies.
It’s also been a stupid amount of money. According to Disney+, the Encore re-release opened at number one worldwide in September with an estimated $86 million opening weekend, and combined with the original run it pushed Endgame to the top of the all-time box office chart with nearly $3 billion. Disney’s own press release puts the film past $2.9 billion. Either way, it’s a lot of Shawarma money.
Disney’s UK press notes say the Encore presentation also “includes an exclusive look” at Doomsday. So if you skipped the re-release because “I’ve already seen Endgame, thanks,” that’s the hook.
What’s new (spoiler zone, kept vague)
I’m not going to wreck the new scenes here, because that’s the whole point of watching. The broad strokes, without the juicy bits: the new material leans hard on Loki and the TVA, the Multiverse is very much not okay, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom gets screen time. If you want the scene-by-scene breakdown, Variety has it. I’m just here to tell you it’s worth the two clicks.
Marvel’s official Doomsday homework
The “Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday” collection is live on Disney+, and Marvel’s official watch guide on Marvel.com lays out what it wants you to revisit. It’s a weird, fun list, because it doesn’t start with Iron Man. It starts with Fox:
- X-Men
- X2: X-Men United
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- The Avengers
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers Endgame: Encore
- Loki (Seasons 1 and 2)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Thunderbolts*
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
That opening tells you a lot. The old Fox X-Men aren’t a cameo gag anymore. Variety already reported that Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Ian McKellen’s Magneto and James Marsden’s Cyclops are crossing into the MCU, and Marvel is clearly telling you to go remember who those guys are. Meanwhile, Loki being on there is the least surprising thing ever, given where Encore’s new footage goes.
Is that 15 titles in five weeks? Yeah. Is that a reasonable amount of TV for a grown adult with a job? Absolutely not. Am I going to do it anyway? You already know the answer.
The realistic speedrun
If you’ve got a life (rude), here’s my unofficial cut: Encore first, since it’s new and it’s the bridge. Then Loki, Multiverse of Madness and Deadpool & Wolverine for the Multiverse mess, First Steps and Wakanda Forever for the new players, and X2 if you only have time for one Fox X-Men movie. Skip nothing if you’re a completionist, but don’t let homework make you hate the thing you’re excited about.
When’s Doomsday again?
Avengers: Doomsday opens only in theaters December 18, with Anthony and Joe Russo back in the director’s chairs. Variety points out it lands the same day as Dune: Part 3, so get ready for “Dunesday” discourse whether you want it or not. Avengers: Secret Wars follows in 2027.
So yeah, Friday night plans: couch, a movie we’ve all seen way too many times, four new minutes, and pretending we’re not going to tear up at the same parts. Again.
If you’d rather own the original cut on disc (it’s the 2019 version, not Encore), it’s here: Avengers: Endgame 4K UHD + Blu-ray.
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Watch the official “Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday” spot:
