The wait is finally over, and by “finally over,” I mean it’s been a few years since the last Avengers movie, and Hollywood has been itching to get back to the nostalgia well. This weekend, Avengers Endgame: Encore arrives in theaters, because what’s a few extra million dollars in revenue when you can re-release a movie with some new scenes and call it a day? The revised cut of the 2019 blockbuster includes new footage that wasn’t featured in the original release, because apparently, the 22 movies and 11 years of buildup weren’t enough to tell a complete story.
The final countdown to Avengers: Doomsday begins now, and I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that this re-release is happening right before the next installment in the franchise. Joe Russo, the co-director of both Endgame and Doomsday, has already said that the Encore cut is “required viewing” for Marvel fans, because who doesn’t love a good cash grab? The new scenes are all part of the closing credits, because that’s not a way to artificially extend the runtime of a movie or anything. According to Russo, the Encore cut is going to connect the story of the two movies, which is just code for “we’re going to shoehorn in some more setup for the next movie.”
So, just how essential is this new cut? Does it really connect the story of the two movies, or is it just a bunch of unnecessary filler? Well, let’s take a look at the four new scenes that have appeared online. Again, spoilers are about to follow, so if you want to go into Encore totally fresh, this is probably the place you should exit this branch of the multiverse.
The New Scenes: A Breakdown
The first new addition continues directly from the original ending of Avengers: Endgame, with Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers traveling back in time to live out his retirement with Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter. In the altered Encore version, their happily ever after is interrupted by a knock at the door and the arrival of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, dressed in his TVA uniform from the Loki TV series. Because what’s a Marvel movie without a few more plot threads to keep track of?
The second new scene features Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner — last seen rampaging through New York City in Spider-Man: Brand New Day — in some kind of underground military bunker. He talks into a camera about recently suffering his first “incident” in over a decade and how he has placed himself in isolation as a result. Banner tells the camera he is experimenting with some sort of serum that would suppress the gamma radiation in his blood. Then his camera glitches out, and an unseen Doctor Doom is heard but not seen, telling Banner he’s come to “collect” him. Because who doesn’t love a good cliffhanger?
The third new scene shows members of the TVA, including Owen Wilson’s Mobius and Ke Huy Quan’s Ouroboros, observing an incursion between two universes. One of the universes is listed as “Earth-10005,” which is the official numerical designation for Fox’s X-Men movie universe. Suddenly the incursions begin to spread; dozens, then hundreds, then thousands in a matter of seconds. Ouroboros ominously announces that the multiverse is “collapsing.” Because what’s a Marvel movie without a few more universe-ending stakes?
The fourth and final new scene is perhaps the most interesting, as it intercuts the sound of Tony Stark pounding on his very first Iron Man armor from back in the original Iron Man with flashes of Doctor Doom forging his own armored mask. Because who doesn’t love a good callback to the original movie? It’s not like Hollywood is just relying on nostalgia to sell tickets or anything.
The Bigger Picture
Avengers Endgame: Encore opens in theaters this weekend, and I’m sure it will be a huge success, because what’s not to love about re-watching a movie you’ve already seen with a few extra minutes of footage? The real question is, what’s next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Will we get another 22 movies and 11 years of buildup before the next big conclusion? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the Content Mines remain fully operational, and the Merchandising Department is already hard at work on the next batch of toys and tie-ins.
As I’m sure you’re aware, every trailer is apparently “the most anticipated event of the decade,” and marketing departments have once again declared history to be “made.” But let’s be real, folks, this is just another day in the life of Hollywood, where the Franchise Resurrection Department is one of the busiest offices in town. So, go ahead and shell out your hard-earned cash to see Avengers Endgame: Encore, but don’t say I didn’t warn you: the nostalgia train has no brakes, and it’s just going to keep on rolling until the wheels fall off. Somewhere, an executive is whispering, “Can this become a trilogy?” and the answer, of course, is yes, because why stop at just three movies when you can have six, or twelve, or twenty? The possibilities are endless, and so are the ways to separate you from your money.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
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