Avengers: Endgame Encore leaks online days before release, Russo Brothers respond

Dubai: Clips reportedly filmed during early screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore began circulating on social media this week, revealing new scenes that connect the 2019 film to December's Doomsday. Marvel Studios has been working to pull the footage from platforms.

The re-release opens on 24 September, with Avengers: Doomsday following on 18 December.

'Please don't spoil them'

Anthony and Joe Russo, who directed both films, have appealed directly to fans.

"One last request. There are some new surprises in Avengers Endgame: Encore. Please don't spoil them for everyone else. Give them the same opportunity to discover those surprises that you had," they wrote.

The brothers also reflected on watching Endgame with an audience for the first time in 2019.

"The most emotional night of our careers was sneaking into theaters on opening night of Avengers Endgame. We stood in the back and watched a thousand strangers react, the gasps, the cheers, the tears. We got chills. And may have shed a tear or two ourselves."

Their pitch for the re-release is aimed at younger fans. "There's a generation that only ever saw this movie in their living room. And we want to hear what it sounds like when they finally get to see it in a theater."

What Encore actually is

This is not a straight re-release.

Around four minutes of new material has been added, including a new introduction from the Russos and a post-credits scene. Joe Russo has described the footage as set in the Doomsday story rather than deleted scenes or behind-the-scenes extras, calling the re-release a critical companion story for anyone planning to watch Doomsday.

The new material is tied to format. Reports indicate the end tag is exclusive to IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings, Disney's new premium cinema certification, which the re-release launches.

Endgame remains the second highest-grossing film of all time, with close to $2.8 billion worldwide.

Marvel's recurring problem

Leaks have shadowed this franchise before. Footage from the original Endgame circulated online days before its 2019 release, prompting a similar appeal from the Russos at the time.

Joe Russo told Deadline before Doomsday began filming that the team had built spoiler defences into the production, having learned from previous Marvel films.

Spoiler warning

The section below describes the leaked footage. Stop here if you plan to watch Avengers: Endgame Encore in cinemas.

What the leaked clips reportedly show

Several scenes are circulating, and none has been confirmed by Marvel.

Steve and Peggy get a visitor. The reunion between Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter reportedly continues past their dance, with a knock at the door. Peggy answers to find Loki, apparently the version tied to the Time Variance Authority. In the leaked clip, cinema applause drowns out what he says. The footage does not explain why he is there.

Doom finds Bruce Banner. Banner is reportedly living alone in an underground facility, working on a way to control the Hulk. Accounts differ on the detail, with some describing a gamma-ray suppressor and others a stabilising serum. His isolation is interrupted by a visitor, reported to be Doctor Doom, who tells him, "I've come to collect you," before Banner transforms.

A mask being forged. The hammering sound heard over the original Endgame credits, long read as Tony Stark building his first Iron Man suit, is reportedly reframed, accompanied by footage of Doctor Doom shaping his mask. With Robert Downey Jr returning as Victor von Doom, this has driven speculation about a link between the two characters. The scene does not establish one.

The multiverse starts collapsing. At the TVA, Mobius and Ouroboros reportedly discover universes on a collision course, firing on each other before impact. Reports suggest as many as 3,000 universes are destroyed, with glimpses of realities already lost, including the one belonging to Eric Bana's Hulk and the 2015 Fantastic Four film.

The number 3,000 has drawn attention as a possible nod to Tony Stark's "I love you 3,000" line.