Why the Russo Brothers Rewrote the End of Avengers: Endgame for the Encore Release

Marvel re-released Avengers: Endgame as Avengers: Endgame Encore with new footage that alters the original film's final scene and adds post-credits material. The Russo brothers, who directed Infinity War, Endgame, and are attached to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, explained their rationale in an interview with Empire.

The extended ending begins with the familiar image of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) dancing with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). The Encore version continues past that moment to a knock at the door. Peggy answers and finds Loki at the threshold, implying he's there to tell them about a time rift caused by Steve. The scene ends on that interruption rather than closing with only Steve's peaceful life.

Anthony Russo framed the decision as a deliberate creative move. He said they considered the original Endgame ending "the perfect ending for Steve Rogers." The Encore choice was to take "one moment past that perfect ending," to show how dramatically that moment can change by taking that extra step. That additional beat was intended to seed ideas for how Doomsday begins and to pull past material forward into the new story.

Joe Russo described the Marvel Universe as a "giant experiment" and said returning to Endgame offered an opportunity to "reach back to pull the story forward." He noted the unusual position of being able to alter a previously released film to set up the next chapter.

The directors said they used the same lighting, lenses, and sets so the new material would feel integrated with the 2019 footage. They also confirmed the extended ending and the new post-credits scenes are not intended to be included in Avengers: Doomsday itself. Instead, these moments are meant to provide context for Steve and Peggy, Bruce Banner, the TVA, and Doom leading into Doomsday.

Practical effect on viewers and Doomsday

For viewers, the Encore scenes add new connective tissue: an explicit hint that Steve's actions created a time rift that will matter going forward, and a direct visual cue—Loki at Peggy's door—that ties past characters into the emerging plotlines. For Doomsday, the Russo brothers present the Encore footage as a primer: it nudges audience expectations and sets tone without encoding those scenes into the next film's runtime.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in theaters December 18, 2026. Tickets are on sale. The Rus­sos portrayed the Encore release as a way to recontextualize Endgame for viewers who will see Doomsday later this year.

• Whether the implications of a Steve-caused time rift reappear in Doomsday's plot.

• Whether the Russo brothers keep the tonal balance they established by extending a character's 'final' moment and then opening it back up.