Avengers: Endgame was a smash hit from the moment it originally hit theaters back in 2019. In the seven-plus years since, however, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride. For all the successes of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Deadpool & Wolverine, there have been just as many flops, such as The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. So with Avengers: Doomsday set to come out this December, Marvel Studios is trying to remind fans what made the franchise so special in its heyday. Enter Avengers Endgame: Encore, a re-release featuring new footage and direct ties to the upcoming sequel. Co-director Joe Russo even went as far as saying that the extended cut was “required viewing” ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
With several additional minutes to comb over, including multiple brand-new post-credits scenes, here is everything you need to know about Avengers Endgame: Encore.
(Warning: Spoilers for Avengers Endgame: Encore and the rest of the MCU ahead.)
Avengers Endgame: Encore Post-Credits Scene, Explained
Back in 2019, Avengers: Endgame did not feature either a mid-credits or post-credits scene. It was the first MCU film to not have a teaser of any kind after the film itself ended. Instead, the sound of Tony Stark hammering metal played over the Marvel Studios logo following the final credits, but there were no visuals to go along with the audio callback to 2008’s Iron Man.
This time around, though, there are two quick images that play in concert with the same sound effect. After the Marvel Studios logo fades away, we see a quick flash to somebody forging Doctor Doom’s mask. Then, we see somebody wearing the mask – presumably Doom himself. Since Robert Downey Jr. is playing Doom, it makes sense to repurpose an Iron Man easter egg into a Doom teaser, but there isn’t anything incredibly insightful here.
Avengers Endgame: Encore Mid-Credits Scene, Explained
After the stylized credits that pay homage to the six original Avengers and their actors, we cut to security camera footage of a man in a cell. It turns out to be Bruce Banner, back in human form after his Jean Grey-triggered rampage as Savage Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Bruce proceeds to film a video of himself, confirming that he has sequestered himself in a bunker 2 miles underground following the events of Brand New Day. He begins to detail the results of his recent gamma suppression experiments, until the lights and his computer monitors flicker. Eventually, someone appears off screen, prompting Bruce to ask who they are and what they are doing there.
That’s when we hear Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom say “Mr. Banner, I’m here to collect you.” The Hulk roars, then Bruce’s camera falls over and shows that the Hulk and Doom have both disappeared, leaving only fiery green runes on the floor. Could the Fantastic Four villain be bringing the rage monster to Battleworld? If so, we might not get answers about this scene in Avengers: Doomsday, but rather Avengers: Secret Wars a year later. After all, Mark Ruffalo has not been publicly announced as part of the Doomsday cast, plus the Brand New Day post-credits scene already alluded to a storyline from the Secret Wars comic run.
How Does Avengers Endgame: Encore End?
Beyond the mid-credits scene and post-credits scene, there are no changes to Avengers: Endgame itself – until the very end, that is.
We get the same flash to Captain America finally sharing his dance with Peggy Carter after handing the shield over to Sam Wilson, once again set to “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.” But instead of the film cutting to credits just as Steve and Peggy kiss, they are interrupted by a knock on the door. The song cuts out, and Steve takes cover around a corner while Peggy goes to answer it.
There’s a man at the door, and Peggy asks if she can help him. He responds that she can’t, but that he can help them – both of them. He steps through the door and reveals himself as Loki, the god of mischief himself. Naturally, it’s the TVA version of Loki, who has presumably lived through the two seasons of the Loki TV show and then some. He looks directly at Captain America before the credits finally roll, this time set to the bombastic, orchestral Avengers theme instead of the emotional, jazzy needle drop from the original cut.
There is an additional stinger starring Mobius, Ouroboros, Casey and Miss Minutes, also from Loki, but it is exclusive to IMAX screenings of Avengers Endgame: Encore. In the scene, the characters watch from the TVA as Earth-10005 and Earth-1127 start to collide in an incursion. The former is the Fox X-Men universe, for context. Several other worlds are erased as OB confirms that the multiverse is collapsing.
Avengers Endgame: Encore FAQ
What is Avengers Endgame: Encore?
Avengers Endgame: Encore is a theatrical re-release of Avengers: Endgame featuring several minutes of new footage and ties to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Does Avengers Endgame: Encore Have a Post-Credits Scene?
Yes, Avengers Endgame: Encore does have a post-credits scene. Instead of simply hearing the sound of Tony Stark banging metal in a cave in 2008’s Iron Man, we get two quick flashes of someone forging Doctor Doom’s mask, then wearing it. The mid-credits scene, meanwhile, features Doctor Doom kidnapping Bruce Banner after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. There is another of Mobius, Ouroboros, Casey and Miss Minutes at the TVA during multiple incursions, signifying the collapse of the entire multiverse. Then there’s the alternate ending, which centers around Loki interrupting Steve and Peggy’s last dance to offer them some help.
What is the next movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
The next MCU movie is Avengers: Doomsday, which will hit theaters on December 18, 2026. After that is Avengers: Secret Wars, which is coming on December 17, 2027.
