Two sneak peeks at Avengers: Doomsday are coming to screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore, though one of them will only be included in certain showings.
As per an August 25 press release from Disney UK, Avengers: Endgame Encore will include an “exclusive look” at Avengers: Doomsday. It’s expected that this will at least partially account for the four extra minutes that have been added to the film’s total runtime, which fans noticed when AMC began listing showtimes late last week.
In bigger news, an “additional sneak peek” of the upcoming flick will also be included at showings on IMAX and Infinity Vision-certified screens. Thus far, it’s unclear how much time this will add to those screenings, and it’s possible that this glimpse at Doomsday could be part of the pre-show previews and not the actual film itself. Either way, fans are split as to whether or not sitting through a three hour-long movie they’ve already seen is actually worth it.
Avengers director Joe Russo has said it’s “critically important” that Marvel Studios re-release the film in theaters, calling it an “opportunity to create a bridge from Endgame to Doomsday in a very unique way.”
“You don’t always get the chance to re-release because it costs money, so the fact that we can enhance the story of Doomsday by bridging it to Endgame and these characters that we worked with for years that we love so much, and continue their story: It’s a really unique opportunity,” he said.
As told by Russo, Avengers Endgame: Encore will contain “footage that is set in the Doomsday story” that has been added to Endgame. It’s unclear as yet what this footage will be, exactly, but launching DLC for a seven-year-old film is rubbing some Marvel fans the wrong way.
According to one fan on Reddit, “It’s literally four extra minutes of footage that will be in a YouTube short within two days,” while another argued that it’s not worth the trouble of “getting a babysitter” and “spending $30-$40 for four minutes of footage.”
Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be a similarly-debated film; Robert Downey Jr.’s role as Victor Von Doom has left some fans convinced that Marvel is holding an ace up its sleeve, with theories abounding that, perhaps, the actor so iconic for playing Iron Man is merely an illusion or a different version of the character in an alternate reality.
Still others have noticed apparent changes in Dr. Doom’s eye color in different shots within Doomsday trailers, suggesting that these theories could hold some merit. For now, Marvel has been playing its cards close to the chest as the Doomsday clock ticks down to December 18, 2026.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
