Joe Russo says Marvel fans need to see 'Avengers: Endgame' re-release before 'Doomsday'

Avengers: Endgame Encore arrives in theatres on September 25 while Doomsday is scheduled to hit cinemas on December 18

Marvel fans may have some homework to do before heading to see Avengers: Doomsday. Joe Russo, who is co-directing the upcoming fifth Avengers film with his brother Anthony Russo, says the new theatrical version of Avengers: Endgame will be essential viewing ahead of the December release.

The updated version, titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, returns to cinemas on September 25 with previously unseen footage that directly connects to the story of Avengers: Doomsday. Russo described the re-release as a “critical companion story” and said the added material is designed to create a bridge between the two films.

“It’s critically important to re-release the movie,” Russo previously explained, revealing that the new footage is “set in the Doomsday story” and has been added to Endgame. He said the opportunity allows the filmmakers to continue the stories of characters they have worked with for years while connecting the conclusion of the Infinity Saga to the next chapter.

Now, with Endgame Encore approaching its September release, Russo is making the message even clearer: fans who want to fully understand Avengers: Doomsday should see the updated version.

The re-release will feature approximately four minutes of new material, including an end tag, and will be presented in formats including IMAX and Infinity Vision. The additional footage is not simply a collection of deleted scenes, but material intended to establish elements of the story that will continue in Doomsday.

That connection could be particularly significant given the unexpected returns at the centre of Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but not as Tony Stark. He will play Victor von Doom, while Chris Evans is also returning as Steve Rogers.

Downey's return is especially intriguing because Tony Stark sacrificed himself at the end of Endgame. The new footage could therefore provide important context for how the story moves from the events of the 2019 blockbuster into the multiverse-spanning conflict of Doomsday.

Avengers: Endgame remains one of the biggest films in box-office history, and Marvel is now using its return to cinemas as more than a nostalgia play. The studio is effectively turning the re-release into part of the narrative leading into its next major event movie.

Avengers: Endgame Encore arrives in theatres on September 25, 2026, while Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit cinemas on December 18, 2026.