A lot of fans were skeptical when Marvel Studios first announced the re-release of Avengers: Endgame, and I was one of them. Questions about why the re-release was necessary quickly arose, as there were years of Marvel Cinematic Universe storytelling that was done between Endgame and Doomsday. Then there was all the branding around Disney’s new “Infinity Vision” initiative, which promised fans only the best premium theatrical experiences (even if they didn’t initially understand how). It was clearly a marketing and promotional stunt, but was there merit to it?
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I can’t speak for every fan, but I can speak for myself: Avengers: Endgame Encore was totally a worthwhile experience. So, for anyone currently on the fence about whether or not to buy a ticket, I have at least three good points to offer about why you may enjoy it, too.
NOTE: This is not an ad. I genuinely just had a good time.
3. The Nostalgia Is Real (& Not How I Expected)
One of the biggest reasons fans were sold on seeing Avengers: Endgame Encore was that now-iconic fan-swell moment of Captain America being joined on the battlefield by the MCU heroes as they make their final charge against Thanos. It was a promise to recapture a precious moment in Marvel movie (and cinematic) history, in what felt like a completely different world.
The most surprising thing about the experience of seeing Endgame Encore in theaters was that the nostalgia wasn’t what I expected it to be. Big parts of the movie still felt epic on the big screen, no doubt; however, it was the opening act of the film that caught me by surprise. The story of an Avengers team that failed the world, and the dark times that followed, plays so differently after all we lived through between 2019 and 2026. The dramatic performances of the main Avengers cast working through their trauma (Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Rennry, Chris Hemsworth) are much easier to appreciate; seeing the arc of an elite team picking one another up, coming back together, and getting to live out the fantasy of going back in time and repairing the world is the kind of sci-fi/adventure epic we go to the movies for. Endgame is a much different experience if you’ve had seven years and some hard experiences to live through. Which only made the experience of seeing it feel new again.
Finally, there was no better marker of time than having my son with me, who grew up on MCU movies but had never seen one of his favorites on the big screen. If you’re a parent in a similar situation: their faces alone are worth it.
2. The Technical Feats Are Gorgeous
At this point, there’s no debate that Disney and Marvel Studios upgraded Avengers: Endgame for the Encore re-release, from a color grading change to sharpened HD visuals on par with today’s premium format standards. I saw the film in 3D because I hadn’t seen the original in that format, and it was the first 3D film I could convince my son to see (Avatar didn’t get it done…). It was an awesome experience, and I say that as someone who is no big champion of that format. It made the viewing experience feel novel because it definitely wasn’t one that I could get from home viewing, and having watched it at home so many times, that was as surprising as it was satisfying.
For all the skepticism, Disney’s “Infinity Vision” initiative seems to be working out well, acting as a branded roadmap for fans to get the best technical aspects of the theatrical viewing experience without all the guesswork. That’s going to come in handy when Doomsday hits.
1. The Doomsday Connections Are Fun (Enough)
The big hype has been around the Avengers: Endgame Encore Bonus Scenes that changed the film’s ending and add a couple of extra bits that tease Avengers: Doomsday. Are those scenes, alone, worth the price of a re-release ticket? Nah. But are they fun as extras for a re-release that offers the satisfaction listed above? Definitely.
The fact is, while there are many forms of MCU content out there, there are some viewers who just stick to major releases like the Spider-Man or Avengers movies. So even though it is a major retcon, there needs to be direct connective tissue between where Endgame ends and Avengers: Doomsday begins. For better or worse, the bonus content achieves that goal; it answers at least one question about a pivotal character and sets huge stakes for this next film. Not too shabby.
Those are the reasons I felt good walking out of Avengers: Endgame Encore. Let me know if you felt the same way in the comments!
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
