‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Could Reignite Its Historic Battle with ‘Avatar’ for the Box Office Crown, Here’s How Much It Needs to Earn

Few box office rivalries in modern cinema history carry as much weight as the ongoing tug-of-war between Marvel’s biggest crossover event and James Cameron’s sci-fi epic. For years, these two franchises have traded blows for the title of highest-grossing film ever made, and that battle is about to reignite in a way nobody saw coming seven years after the fact.

That rivalry traces back to 2019, when ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ briefly dethroned ‘Avatar’ as the all-time box office champion following a theatrical run that included a special re-release featuring bonus footage. That victory proved short-lived, as Disney’s own 2021 rerelease of ‘Avatar’ in China helped Cameron’s film reclaim the crown, pushing its cumulative worldwide total to just over $2.923 billion.

Now Marvel is preparing to make another run at the title. ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ returning to theaters September 25 as ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore,’ would need to earn more than $200 million to make history as the first-ever $3 billion movie, though a more realistic target sits much closer within reach: the film needs roughly $125 million globally just to surpass ‘Avatar’ and reclaim its old spot as the highest-grossing film of all time.

That gap has narrowed considerably in recent months. According to updated figures, ‘Endgame’ currently sits at approximately $2.799 billion worldwide, leaving it just $124 million short of ‘Avatar’s’ $2.924 billion total, a target that suddenly looks far more attainable than it did when the rerelease was first announced.

Unlike a typical nostalgia-driven rerelease, ‘Endgame Encore’ arrives with genuine narrative stakes attached. The new cut includes previously unseen footage tied directly to December’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ with co-director Joe Russo describing the rerelease to Deadline as something that creates “a bridge” between the two films rather than simply repackaging old material for a quick cash grab.

That added incentive gives ‘Endgame Encore’ a stronger pull than most theatrical rereleases typically manage, especially for fans eager to see how the new footage connects to Marvel’s next major crossover event. Audiences hoping for the complete experience are being pointed toward IMAX or Disney’s newly launched Infinity Vision format, both of which will feature the film’s extended cut.

Marvel’s own recent box office momentum only adds to the intrigue surrounding this rematch. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has already posted a $360 million domestic opening weekend, edging past ‘Endgame’s’ previous domestic opening record of $357 million, showing just how much the theatrical landscape has shifted even as ‘Endgame’ itself continues climbing back up the charts.

Whether ‘Endgame Encore’ actually manages to reclaim the all-time crown from ‘Avatar’ remains to be seen, but the numbers suggest this rematch is far closer than anyone might have expected for a film approaching its eighth anniversary. With the rerelease landing just months before ‘Doomsday’ hits theaters, Marvel appears determined to make this comeback bid count.

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