Avengers: Doomsday is beginning to resemble the Avengers’ version of a family reunion where nobody knows who invited Doctor Doom, yet everyone has brought a multiverse-sized suitcase. Between Robert Downey Jr.’s villainous comeback, the Russo brothers’ return, legacy X-Men, Fantastic Four heroes, and a hurricane of leaks, excitement and bewilderment are practically sharing a couch.

Fortunately, Joe Russo has offered a rather important clue about how fans should understand Avengers: Doomsday.

During a red carpet interview with Fandango at Comic-Con, Joe Russo gave Marvel fans their next assignment as well as a guide to Avengers Doomsday with the confidence of Nick Fury handing out Avengers dossiers. Discussing Avengers: Endgame Encore, Russo said the 2019 blockbuster will “connect the story of the two movies,” pointing to a natural progression from Endgame into Avengers: Doomsday and an important homework to do before watching the anticipated December movie.

“Two, I think it’s required viewing for following the story in Doomsday,” Russo said. It was Joe Russo’s second reason for returning to the 185-minute epic, the first being the sheer fun of reliving everything audiences felt during that emotional superhero marathon. In other words, bring tissues, bring nostalgia, and perhaps prepare to hear “I love you 3000” echoing through the theater again. 

Joe Russo also stressed that Endgame connects with the wider stories unfolding across the Marvel universe, making the Encore more than a nostalgic victory lap. Anthony Russo added, “If you saw Endgame when it was originally released, you couldn’t see this coming.” Fandango’s Comic-Con conversation therefore makes the re-release sound suspiciously like homework with considerably better snacks.

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While one wonders what the Encore has in store for Marvel fans, the ticket sales are already raising an entirely different question.

Avengers: Endgame Encore is not merely reopening the portals to 2019; every new ticket sold is expected to feed into Avengers: Endgame’s lifetime theatrical gross. That gives Marvel Studios another intriguing objective beyond nostalgia, because the re-release could help the superhero epic strengthen its position in the all-time box office race.

The big question is how much the Encore can actually add, with estimates suggesting roughly $123 million to $125 million globally would be needed to overtake Avatar again. A $3 billion worldwide total would require an even mightier final push of about $201 million, making the September 25 return a potentially significant chapter in Endgame’s box office legacy.

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Are you running to book tickets for Avengers: Endgame Encore after what Joe Russo said? Let us know in the comments!