‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Lands Rotten Tomatoes’ Verified Hot Badge as Audiences Rally Behind the Re-Release
Re-releases usually get treated as nostalgia rather than events. Fans already know the story, own the movie and rarely expect anything new. That’s what makes the reception to ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore‘ so notable, as both audiences and box office totals have surprised the industry.
The 2019 blockbuster returned to theaters last weekend with new footage aimed at building excitement for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. It opened at No. 1 with $86 million globally, including $26 million domestically. The question now is how moviegoers actually felt about the extended version.
The answer arrived on Tuesday. Rotten Tomatoes announced that audiences say ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ is Verified Hot at 96% on the Popcornmeter. The audience blurb called it arguably the most exciting ‘Avengers’ installment yet, praising its epic thrills and gut-wrenching turns.
The number carries extra meaning because of how it is calculated. A discussion of the score noted that the Verified Audience Score is new and is polled exclusively from viewers who saw ‘Endgame Encore’, rather than from the original theatrical run. In other words, these are people who paid to see the re-release.
Disney reported that the film holds a Verified Moviegoer rating of 96% across more than 2,500 ratings. PostTrak polling also gave it five out of five stars from general audiences and families. Those figures come on top of a strong opening.
For context, the original film holds a 94% Tomatometer from 552 reviews and a 90% Popcornmeter from more than 50,000 ratings. The Encore’s audience number is higher, though it is based on a smaller and more self-selecting group. People who buy tickets to re-watch a movie tend to like it.
Critics on the page are also positive. One review praised the Encore for supplying a convincing foundation for ‘Doomsday’, giving the coming conflict roots in characters and decisions viewers already care about. Audience reviews highlighted seeing the movie again on a large screen and enjoying the extra footage.
The extra material is a big part of the story. The IMAX and Infinity Vision version carries about 6 minutes and 17 seconds of new footage, compared with roughly 2 minutes and 6 seconds in standard screenings. Several scenes tease ‘Doomsday’ directly.
In one, Bruce Banner is shown in an underground facility, and Doctor Doom appears to say he has come to collect him. In another, Loki shows up at Peggy Carter’s door while Steve Rogers hides, and Anthony Russo has described that moment as where ‘Doomsday’ is born. A third scene visits the TVA, where Mobius, O.B. and Casey watch two Earths threaten to collide.
Reassemble the team & relive the experience as Avengers Endgame: Encore returns to theaters September 25.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 25, 2026
Tickets now available for IMAX and Infinity Vision screens: https://t.co/pZZ4PiOyQb pic.twitter.com/2wKSVG4FLz
The reaction isn’t unanimous. ComicBook.com reported that reception to the newly added scenes has been generally lukewarm, particularly around what some fans see as a change to the emotional weight of Steve Rogers’ ending. Still, it noted that the mixed feelings haven’t stopped people from buying tickets.
Anthony Russo has said the directors didn’t want to change what the movie is. The additions were designed to connect to the next film rather than alter the original story. That approach appears to have kept most audiences on board.
The score is also a useful barometer for Marvel. The studio has been building toward December 18, when ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ brings back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, and it needs fans to feel excited rather than fatigued. A Verified Hot badge and five-star exit polling suggest that enthusiasm is intact.
The re-release has also helped Marvel Studios pass $35 billion at the global box office, according to Disney. The film’s lifetime worldwide total is now within reach of ‘Avatar’. In an era of franchise fatigue, that kind of momentum matters.
With no set end date for the Encore’s fall run, the audience score may shift as more viewers rate it. Still, a 96% opening is a strong signal. For a film that’s seven years old, that kind of response is unusual.
The next test will be whether that goodwill carries over to ‘Doomsday’. Marvel has given fans plenty to talk about in the meantime. For now, the Popcornmeter suggests the Avengers still know how to assemble an audience.
Did the new Avengers: Endgame Encore footage make you more excited for Avengers: Doomsday?
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