Avengers Endgame Encore Is Getting Two Different Versions in Theaters, and Only One Has All the Doomsday Footage

Published 16 September 2026. Words like "tonight" or "next week" refer to that date.

There are officially two different versions of Avengers Endgame Encore hitting theaters next week, and only one of them includes all the extra footage that I think is the whole reason to buy a ticket to see this movie again, especially when we can all watch Endgame for free on Disney Plus as many times as we want.

Two Versions of Avengers Endgame Encore Are Releasing on the Same Date

Avengers Endgame Encore was released on September 25th in most places, with US showings starting September 24th. The catch is that there are two distinct cuts of this re-release going into theaters at the same time, and the version you end up with depends on the screen format your theater is showing it in.

The standard Avengers Endgame Encore has a runtime of 183 minutes and 3 seconds. The Infinity Version version, however, runs 186 minutes and 14 seconds, which is a difference of just over three minutes of extra material.

The Official Description Confirms Extra Doomsday Footage Is Being Added to Endgame Itself

The official description reads: "The special encore presentation of the record-breaking film includes an exclusive look at the highly anticipated December 18 release of Marvel Studios Avengers Doomsday. An additional sneak peek of the film will also be available to audiences who see Avengers Endgame Encore on IMAX and Infinity Version certified screens."

Reading between the lines, that means every version of Avengers Endgame Encore is getting footage added into the film itself that is meant to tie to the Doomsday story and create a bridge from Endgame to Doomsday. But only the Infinity Version or IMAX certified screens are getting an additional sneak peek on top of that, which I suspect is likely the post credit scene along with some actual footage from Avengers Doomsday.

Joe Russo Explains the Thinking Behind Bridging Endgame to Doomsday

Joe Russo said: "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. 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."

Casual Fans Could End Up Buying the Wrong Ticket and Missing the Real Sneak Peek

I sort of hate that they're doing this because there will be people who simply go see Avengers Endgame Encore because it's back in theaters, without knowing better, without getting the Infinity Version or IMAX version of the ticket. Those fans might get some new scenes within the film that contextualize Doomsday, but they won't actually get the Doomsday sneak peek that I think is really the reason you're going to see it in the first place.

Part of the reason for two versions is practical: Marvel Studios is putting Avengers Endgame Encore into as many theaters as possible, and some of those theaters simply won't qualify for Infinity Version or IMAX certification. That's why there are two different cuts, and it's clearly meant to push people toward seeing it in Infinity Version or IMAX specifically, since that's where the extra content lives.

If you've already got tickets and you check them and don't have the Infinity Version or IMAX version, it might be worth seeing if you can switch, if that's even possible, so you get all the Doomsday extra footage rather than the minimal amount going into standard theaters.

Avengers Endgame Encore Has Already Been Confirmed for Disney Plus

If you've decided you're not paying for another ticket to see a movie that's been out for around a decade, there's no need to worry. They've already confirmed Avengers Endgame Encore is coming to Disney Plus, though they haven't said how quickly. So if you don't want to spend another 20 or 25 dollars or more taking the family, you can just wait and eventually watch it there as part of your subscription.

Marvel Has Never Touched a Canonical Cut Before, and That Worries Me

This last part is just my opinion. I was pretty sure that whatever Doomsday related material they added would come after the movie, because Marvel Studios has been so good about not changing the canonical versions of their films. Marvel Studios is one of the few studios that doesn't have director's cuts or different versions of a film. The theatrical release has always been the canonical release, and up until now they've never touched them.

I always point to the original Star Wars and what I'd call the despised versions. George Lucas showed exactly what happens when you can't leave art alone, especially a masterpiece, and try to interject new stuff into it. Usually it doesn't work out well, and at the very least it creates a schism where there are two different versions that are now both canonical, leaving you to wonder which one you're supposed to watch.

For the record, if you're watching Lord of the Rings, you're watching the extended editions. I never watch anything but the extended editions, and if you don't have access to them, I don't know what you're doing with your life. Now I have a feeling something similar might happen with Avengers Endgame, where you don't just watch Endgame, you watch Encore.

I Think This Could Permanently Change Endgame, Not Just Add a Sneak Peek

My point is that I was sure they'd add maybe some deleted scenes during Avengers Endgame Encore but save the new material for after the credits, so the original movie's integrity would be preserved. But it sounds very clearly now like they are going to interject what I have to assume is new footage, unless they just happen to have scenes sitting around that make more sense now with Avengers Doomsday coming.

Doomsday is coming out now, and we're going to find out that Dr. Doom looks like Tony Stark, with something to do with Tony Stark snapping in the 616. So even without some sort of retcon, there was probably always going to be some extending of what was going on in Endgame with new light added to it, and I get that. But I definitely do not like directors going back into a movie that's already out and already a masterpiece and tinkering with it. Adding footage at the end, sure, but you leave the main cut intact, and it doesn't sound like that's what's happening here.

If you're planning to go but haven't bought tickets yet, make sure you're getting the Infinity Version or IMAX version so you get all of the Doomsday extra footage rather than whatever minimal amount is going into standard theaters. It feels a little cheesy from a Marvel standpoint, like the whole point of this is really just to bump the box office for Endgame while getting hype for Doomsday, and now that there's a second version that won't even have all the footage, some fans are going to get duped, and I hate that for them.

Are you as frustrated by this two version rollout as I am, or does the Doomsday bridge footage make the re-release worth it either way?