Avengers Endgame: What's In the 'Encore' Version?
It might seem like light-years since Avengers: Endgame came out, but the thrilling finale of the Infinity Saga is actually returning to theatres imminently.
However, if you thought this was simply a re-release of the 2019 movie, you should know by now that things are nowhere near that simple. After all, this is Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers we’re talking about.
Avengers: Endgame takes place after the devastation reaped by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. At the movie’s climax, Thanos succeeded in the grimmest way possible. With all the Infinity Stones, he was able to use the Infinity Gauntlet to 'snap' half the universe's inhabitants to dust. This led to many of our beloved Avengers dissipating before our very eyes. Given that we had to wait a whole year for the follow-up, it was certainly a sombre note to end the film on.
I remember being stunned into silence. Never before had I seen a superhero movie end in a way that was so devoid of hope and resolution. But even when all hope was lost, we showed up for our remaining heroes, and Endgame became the second highest-grossing movie of all time.
As we now know, the wait was definitely worth it. And the thing about this re-release is that it’s about more than having a great time at the cinema. In fact, it is essential to watch ahead of Avengers: Doomsday in December.
What’s In The ‘Encore’ Version Of Avengers: Endgame?
On the surface, it might not look like much. There are four additional minutes in the 'Encore' release, making the total runtime three hours and five minutes. However, these four minutes are apparently crucial to the understanding of Avengers: Doomsday.
The Russo brothers confirmed this during an appearance at the Sands Film Festival (via IGN). "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," Joe Russo explained.
He added that the film would serve as a “critical companion story that is set up for what you’re gonna watch in December when you see Avengers: Doomsday.”
Regarding this new footage in particular, he said: "It’s an opportunity to create a bridge from Endgame to Doomsday in a very unique way, and because the movie was so successful, we have an opportunity to re-release it.”
“You don’t always get the chance to re-release because it costs money, so the fact that we can enhance the story of Doomsday by bridging it to Endgame and these characters that we worked with for years that we love so much, and continue their story: It’s a really unique opportunity."
While the precise footage and what it involves is anyone’s guess, based on how Joe Russo is talking about it, I would recommend walking, not running, to your local cinema on September 25 to get a holistic understanding of the state of affairs ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
