Disney+ will stream “Avengers Endgame: Encore” on Friday, giving subscribers an extended version of the 2019 blockbuster with four new scenes that set up next month’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” The service confirmed the Nov. 13 date Wednesday and released a “Countdown to Doomsday” spot alongside it. The Encore cut adds new color grading and the four scenes to the film that closed the Infinity Saga, and it runs about 185 minutes, a few minutes longer than the original. Disney also assembled a collection of earlier Marvel films and shows to refresh viewers’ memories ahead of the sequel. “Doomsday” opens in theaters Dec. 18.
The streaming release follows a limited theatrical run that began Sept. 25. Disney had announced the re-release in the spring as a way to bring audiences back to the franchise before the sequel, and it later gave the film its new title. Anthony and Joe Russo directed the original, and Kevin Feige produced it. The cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner.
Details of the new footage remain closely held. Reports describe teasing glimpses tied to Doctor Doom, the villain expected to anchor “Doomsday,” but Marvel has not confirmed what the scenes show. Fans who watch the original on Disney+ will not see them unless they switch to the Encore version.
Reaction to the project has been mixed. Some commentators greeted the re-release with skepticism, calling it a marketing exercise built around a film audiences already know. The streaming date answers a main objection. Subscribers who skipped the theatrical run can now see the added material at no extra cost, and the original cut stays on the service.
The timing matters to Marvel. The studio has relied on event releases to draw crowds, and a streaming debut five weeks before the sequel gives Disney+ a high-traffic title during a heavily promoted stretch. The release also arrives after the conclusion of “VisionQuest,” leaving it as the last Marvel project on the service before “Doomsday” reaches theaters.
