Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame re-release is getting more than a return to theaters.
Joe Russo has now confirmed the September 25 re-release will include added footage tied directly to Avengers: Doomsday, turning the movie into what he described as a bridge between the two films.
Speaking at the Sands Film Festival in St Andrews, Scotland, Russo said the re-release is “critically important” because Marvel has added footage “set in the Doomsday story” to Endgame.
He also called it a “critical companion story” and a setup for what fans will see in December when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters.
Endgame Becomes A Bridge To Doomsday
Via Deadline, Russo explained that the idea is to create a direct bridge from Endgame to Doomsday in a way Marvel normally would not get the chance to do.
He said the success of Endgame made the re-release possible, and that Marvel is using the opportunity to continue the story of characters the Russos worked with for years.
“It’s critically important to re-release the movie, and, in fact, we’ll be re-releasing the film with footage that is set in the Doomsday story that we have added to Avengers: Endgame,” said Joe Russo.
He contined, “It’s an opportunity to create a bridge from Endgame to Doomsday in a very unique way, and because the movie was so successful, we have an opportunity to re-release it.
“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,” Russo added.
Joe Russo Explains Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Return
Russo also offered more insight into how Robert Downey Jr. ended up returning to Marvel as Doctor Doom.
He said the idea came out of long conversations between Marvel, Kevin Feige, and Downey, and that Downey began thinking about coming back around two to two-and-a-half years ago.
Russo said Downey pitched the idea of playing “the ultimate villain” after having already played “the ultimate hero,” and called it a clever concept.
He added that the story structure did not fully come together until he and his brother, Anthony, reconnected with their longtime Marvel writer Stephen McFeely.
Marvel Is Leaning Into Serialized Storytelling
Russo also said the upcoming Avengers movies will unfold in a structure similar to the comics, with serialized storytelling as the goal.
He said part of the mission is making movies that bring people together and create a sense of community in theaters.
That lines up with what Marvel is doing around the re-release.
CinemaCon already confirmed Endgame will return in September ahead of Doomsday’s December 18, 2026 release (showing off new footage), and Disney is tying both movies to its new Infinity Vision premium screen certification.
Release Info
Avengers: Endgame returns to theaters on September 25, 2026.
Avengers: Doomsday gets released on December 18, 2026.
(note: featured image of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom is fan art)
