After dominating box offices around the world for two months, Avengers: Endgame initially seemed like it was ready to bow out of theaters. But the superhero epic is indeed returning to theaters, even if some screens are still playing it, with a reported six minutes of additional material.
However, most Marvel fans have likely already seen the film multiple times in theaters. While it's likely that a number of those fans will help push the film firmly past Avatar to become the highest-grossing film of all time, is there really enough new content to justify another viewing in theaters?
What's in the Avengers: Endgame Re-Release
Avengers: Endgame already clocks in at over three hours. The new release of the film will have six minutes of new footage, although not all of it will be deleted sequences from the narrative. Only one, partially unfinished deleted scene will be included in the re-release. The rest of the footage is seemingly either self-reflecting, celebratory or promotional material. The film will open with an introduction by co-director Anthony Russo. It will also feature an extended tribute to the late Stan Lee. The film will also include a sneak peek at Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Although the presence of a deleted scene has been confirmed, it's currently unknown what that scene will pertain to. It could be a small character beat, an added action sequence or it could even be an after-credits scene. Endgame broke Marvel Cinematic Universe tradition by not featuring any kind of mid- or post-credits scene. A comment from Kevin Feige promising "more surprises" has some fans excited. Beyond that, fans who visit certain locations will receive a limited edition poster for the film.
The Home Experience
Marvel has also announced details for the home release of Avengers: Endgame, and that version of the film seems set to arrive with a lot more new footage. Set to be released in 4K UHD, on Blu-ray and DVD on Aug. 13, the home video version of Endgame will include a host of special features. One of those is an extended tribute to Stan Lee, potentially the same one that will appear in theaters. These special features will also include a number of other featurettes that focus on the Russo brothers and a history of the MCU, from its beginning to the present day.
The home release will also include six deleted scenes. These scenes have been revealed to be titled “Goji Berries,” “Bombs on Board,” “Suckiest Army in the Galaxy,” “You Used to Frickin’ Live Here,” “Tony and Howard” and “Avengers Take a Knee." Any one of these could end up being the additional scene that's included in the re-release. It's unlikely that Marvel would re-release Endgame with an additional scene only to never show it again. If anything, the cut scene will probably be one of the deleted scenes that's part of the bonus features for the home release.
Should You See It Again In Theaters?
In all honesty, the re-release of Avengers: Endgame is probably unnecessary. If you're expecting to see reams of exciting new content on the screen, you're most likely going to be disappointed. The six additional minutes of runtime seems to be mostly dedicated to the Lee tribute and the greets from Anthony Russo, which is likely the only purely exclusive moment out of the the entire release. Even the preview of Spider-Man: Far From Home is somewhat dulled by the fact that the Spider-Man film is hitting theaters in less than a week.
While it would be nice to see the MCU's biggest film surpass Avatar at the box office, the only reason to really attend the new screenings of Endgame in theaters would be to either enjoy the film on the big screen one more time or to try and get one of those posters. The posters have also been confirmed to be limited prints, so make sure you get there early if you do go. Otherwise, it might just be worth it to wait for the film to come out on home video.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos.