Grossing approximately $2.8 billion, making it the second-highest-grossing movie of all time as it stands today, Avengers: Endgame solidified its place as one of pop culture’s and Marvel’s biggest hits. Following the events of its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War, this superhero film deals with the aftermath of Thanos — the antagonist of both films — and his victory in erasing 50% of the population across the galaxy, including an overwhelming amount of cast favorites such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, almost all of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and many more.
Upon its release in 2019, it was apparent that Avengers: Endgame was the perfect conclusion to this chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Avengers: Endgame resolved its previous film, bringing back all of the characters who had blipped — those who were part of the 50% population that had disappeared — and saving the world from Thanos once and for all. The film concluded with three of the main six Avengers — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye — departing from the franchise, as their characters were either killed off nobly or left to live better lives.
So, why is this relevant today?
Well, on Sept. 25, Avengers: Endgame was re-released to theaters with an encore! Here is everything that was added in this encore, so you can skip the movie prices and three-hour-long rewatch, but still be prepared for Avengers: Doomsday hitting theaters on Dec. 18.
Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter’s Extended Scene
In the original cut of Avengers: Endgame, the very last scene is a very sweet, tender reunion between Steve Rogers, or Captain America, and his love interest, Margaret (Peggy) Carter, where they’re seen dancing together. Completely changing the tone of this moment, in the encore, a sudden knock at the door ruins their embrace. Peggy warily answers the door while Steve hides behind a wall. The camera doesn’t show the visitor at first, simply letting the audience hear a familiar British greeting, before Tom Hiddleston’s Loki steps into frame. Loki — an absolute fan-favorite and longtime character in the Marvel franchise, dating all the way back to 2011’s Thor — offers his help to the couple, and the final shot shows Steve Rogers staring at Loki as if he’s seen a ghost.
Bruce Banner’s Post-Credit
Following the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next added scene shows original Avengers member, Bruce Banner (The Hulk) in solitary confinement. The whole scene is filmed as if Bruce Banner is recording a video detailing how long he’s been in the military compound, making the scene feel extremely intimate. He begins to tell the camera — and by extension, the audience — about his scientific findings, but before he can, the footage begins glitching, eventually going completely black. An ominous and sinister voice — likely Doctor Doom’s — joins the darkness with Bruce’s scared ramblings and then a roar can be heard, a clear sign of Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk. The scene concludes with Bruce’s camera falling off his desk onto the ground revealing a fiery green pentagram.
The TVA Post-Post-Credit
All the way from Marvel’s Disney+ Original series, Loki, the next additional footage shows Miss Minutes — an animated, but sentient, orange clock voiced by legendary voice actress, Tara Strong — welcoming someone to the Time Variance Authority (TVA). The Emmy-nominated show, Loki, follows the titular character, his journey post-death in Avengers: Infinity War, and how he ended up at the TVA — an organization that manages time. Other characters from the series appear in this end credit, as they see on the monitor that a bunch of timelines they are protecting are being terminated and colliding into one another. The final shot shows Loki star Owen Wilson’s Mobius, witnessing the multiverse collapsing.
Doctor Doom Final Sound
At the very end of the credits, the sound of a helmet being hit by a hammer can be heard. It is theorized that this is meant to be the new villain of Avengers: Doomsday, Doctor Doom, who will be played by Robert Downey Jr., paralleling Downey’s previous portrayal as Tony Stark or Iron Man.
What This Means For Avengers: Doomsday
The biggest takeaway of this extra footage in preparation for Avengers: Doomsday would be the set-up that the MCU timeline is crashing into another timeline (the 20th Century Fox X-Men timeline), and how Loki and the TVA are unable to stop this destruction. A destruction that is likely caused by Doctor Doom and his kidnapped recruits.