Marvel fans are getting another reason to revisit one of the biggest blockbusters in cinematic history. Avengers: Endgame is returning to theatres this September in an extended version titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, and the re-release will run longer than the original 2019 film. The updated runtime has now been revealed, with the theatrical cut adding four minutes to the original running time. It is expected, the additional footage will most likely connect directly to Avengers: Doomsday, giving audiences a new bridge between the two films.
Avengers: Endgame Encore Runtime Revealed
According to AMC Theatres, Avengers: Endgame Encore will have a runtime of 185 minutes, making it four minutes longer than the original film’s 181-minute running time. The updated runtime also makes the re-release the longest Marvel Studios movie to date. While four additional minutes may not sound substantial for a film that already runs for more than three hours, the significance lies in what those minutes contain.
A still from Avengers: Endgame
The exact nature of the bonus material had initially remained under wraps. Possibilities included deleted scenes, additional material involving existing characters or a new post-credits sequence. However, Joe Russo earlier provided a much bigger clue about the purpose of the footage. The additional scenes will reportedly be connected to Avengers: Doomsday, making the re-release particularly relevant for fans following the next chapter of the .
Will The New Footage Bridge Endgame And Doomsday?
During a session at the Sands Film Festival in St Andrews, Scotland, Joe Russo had revealed that the re-release will include footage set within the storyline. “It’s critically important to re-release the movie, and, in fact, we’ll be re-releasing the film with footage that is set in the Doomsday story that we have added to Avengers: Endgame,” Russo said.
According to Russo, the intention is to create a bridge between the two films rather than add material for the sake of extending the runtime. He described the new footage as an opportunity to connect the events and characters of Endgame with the story audiences will see in Doomsday. The director called the re-release a ‘critical companion story’ and said it would serve as a setup for what viewers will experience when Avengers: Doomsday arrives in December. Avengers: Endgame Encore is scheduled to return to theatres on September 25. The re-release comes as Marvel prepares audiences for Avengers: Doomsday in December.
Avengers: Doomsday
Released in 2019, Avengers: Endgame was the culmination of more than a decade of interconnected Marvel storytelling. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the film brought together characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the climactic battle against Thanos. The film followed the surviving Avengers after the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, as they attempted to reverse the consequences of the Snap. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner and Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton were among the central characters of the film.