Joe Russo Teases Avengers: Endgame Return to Theaters With Never-Before-Seen Footage That Ignites the Doomsday Saga

Alright, Marvel fans—you can officially crank up the anticipation. Marvel Studios is back on its "event movie" grind, and after showing off the first glimpses of Avengers: Doomsday at CinemaCon, they’re now pulling a classic move: a theatrical re-release of Avengers: Endgame, but this time with brand new footage that ties directly into the next big film. Yep, time to head back to the multiplex and watch those heroes save the universe all over again, but now with a few extra surprises.

Re-Releasing Endgame—But with a Twist

The big reveal came at the Sands Film Festival in Scotland, where co-director Joe Russo dropped the news to an audience of festival-goers who were probably not expecting Marvel-level bombshells at a small Scottish movie fest. Here's the gist: This version of Endgame isn’t just the original with a couple of deleted scenes tacked on. Marvel’s tacked on footage specifically designed to set up Doomsday.

Joe Russo explains it like this:

'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. It’s an opportunity to create a bridge from Endgame to Doomsday in a very unique way...'

So this isn’t just a cheap cash grab (at least, not entirely). That newly added material is supposed to function as a 'critical companion story'—basically, homework for fans, but in IMAX. Mark your calendars: The Endgame re-release is coming September 25. If you want to pretend you’re doing “research” for the next Marvel movie, there’s your excuse.

What’s in This New Footage?

Now, it wouldn’t be a Marvel promotion without some secrecy. No one’s getting to see what’s actually in those new scenes until this re-release lands in theaters—and Marvel obviously isn’t giving up any details. All we know is it’s supposed to connect the dots between Endgame and Doomsday, which means either a wild tease, a cameo, or (let’s be honest) something that’ll probably make fans argue on Twitter for months. I’d like to know what’s in it too, but Marvel’s never been in the business of spoiling their own mysteries. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

The Downey Jr. Villain Rumors...Confirmed-ish

Here’s the really wild bit. Joe Russo also told Deadline that Robert Downey Jr. started thinking about coming back to the MCU two, maybe two and a half years ago. No, not as another multiverse Iron Man—but possibly as Doctor Doom. Apparently, higher-ups at Marvel have been brainstorming ways to bring back Tony Stark (in some form) as the ultimate antagonist, a villain to out-villain all MCU bad guys. But the idea didn’t really come together until screenwriter Stephen McFeely pitched Downey as the new take on Doctor Doom.

None of this is officially confirmed for Doomsday yet, but if Marvel pulls the trigger on this one: expect the internet to explode and the box office to break (again).

So, What’s Next for Marvel?

• Avengers: Doomsday footage is out there, if you were lucky enough to be at CinemaCon (the rest of us just have to suffer through rumors and leaks—for now).
• September 25: Avengers: Endgame comes back to theaters with extra scenes that will supposedly tee up the next big crossover.
• Joe Russo and Angela Russo-Otstot are out there hyping this re-release as a must-see connector between old and new MCU phases.
• And, in another galaxy, Robert Downey Jr. might be prepping his best evil villain vibe yet.

Still, despite all the mystery, I get why Marvel’s playing coy—honestly, they haven’t nailed hype-building this well since Phase 3. After that CinemaCon footage leaked, even I got a little more excited, and lately, that’s been rare. If you’re looking for more proof Marvel isn’t running on fumes, Thunderbolts* was their most fun movie in ages, Daredevil: Born Again (season 2) has been a surprising win, and yes, Agatha All Along rules. And don’t get me started on the X-Men—if Marvel nails that, it could get wild again.

In short: go ahead and clear your late September, because Marvel’s about to reroute the MCU hype train right back through Endgame. Let’s see if they deliver.