‘Avengers: Endgame’ Re-Release Is Coming for ‘Avatar’ – Can It Reclaim the Box Office Crown?

Marvel Studios has spent much of 2026 building anticipation for the endgame of its Multiverse Saga, and that campaign is about to take an unusual detour through the past. Rather than jumping straight into new territory, the studio is sending fans back to where the Infinity Saga wrapped up, using nostalgia as a bridge to what’s coming next.

That trip down memory lane arrives courtesy of ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore,’ the retitled theatrical rerelease of 2019’s genre-defining finale. The film returns to theaters on September 25, ahead of the sequels ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ with director Joe Russo calling the rerelease “critically important” in the lead-up to ‘Doomsday.’

According to industry tracking cited by MovieHub, ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ is projected to open with somewhere between $20 million and $28 million domestically during its opening weekend. That’s obviously a far cry from the original film’s historic $350 million domestic debut back in 2019, but for a six-year-old rerelease competing against new releases, those numbers represent a solid showing rather than a disappointment.

Avatar currently holds the worldwide box office record with approximately $2.92 billion, while Avengers: Endgame sits around $2.79–$2.80 billion, leaving a gap of roughly $120–130 million. Endgame has overtaken Avatar before, briefly claiming the top spot in 2019 after a limited re-release featuring bonus footage, only for Avatar to reclaim the crown through subsequent re-releases and international earnings.

Now, Endgame Encore gives Marvel another chance to close the gap. The re-release is projected to open modestly at $20–28 million domestically, meaning it would need a strong global run, particularly in China, to make up the remaining $120 million-plus. Marvel has reportedly positioned the rerelease as an opportunity to reclaim the record, with Kevin Feige even acknowledging the long-running rivalry. While mathematically possible, Endgame would need an unusually strong re-release performance to surpass Avatar—and James Cameron’s film could always fight back with another re-release.

The re-release isn’t simply a straight replay of the 2019 cut, either. The Encore edition will include new footage, a custom introduction and a new post-credits scene, and it has received Disney’s Infinity Vision certification for premium large-format theaters, a designation meant to signal which venues offer the studio’s biggest and most immersive presentations. According to an official listing on AMC’s website, the rerelease will run three hours and five minutes, four minutes longer than the original theatrical cut’s three-hour and one-minute runtime.

That extra footage isn’t just filler intended to pad out nostalgia, either. Reports following the film’s announcement indicated the new content would explore the direct multiversal consequences of the original time heist that closed out the first eleven years of the MCU, giving longtime fans a reason to return to theaters beyond simply rewatching a movie many of them already own.

Access to that new material comes with a catch, though. The exclusive footage, including the special end tag, is reportedly limited to IMAX and Infinity Vision certified screens, meaning standard theatrical showings will still include the new introduction and additional footage, but audiences hoping for the complete package will need to seek out a premium format screening specifically.

That exclusivity appears to be doing double duty for Disney’s marketing strategy. Beyond simply reintroducing ‘Endgame’ to audiences before ‘Doomsday’ arrives in December, the rerelease also functions as a launchpad for Infinity Vision itself, Disney’s new premium large-format theatrical standard designed to compete directly with IMAX and Dolby Cinema. Theaters must be specifically certified to offer the format, giving Disney a built-in incentive to drive ticket sales toward its own branded premium experience.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ landing in theaters on December 18, the Encore rerelease gives Marvel roughly twelve weeks to reignite excitement for the franchise’s next chapter while also testing the commercial viability of its new theatrical format. Given the built-in fan base for a film as beloved as ‘Endgame,’ even a modest opening weekend in the $20 to $28 million range would represent a meaningful win for a movie that’s been available to stream and own for years.

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