Marvel fans are getting another chance to experience Avengers: Endgame on the big screen. This time, however, the film comes with new material and a warning from directors Joe and Anthony Russo: please keep the surprises secret.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Avengers: Endgame: Encore features extra footage connecting the events of Endgame with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The Russo brothers, who directed the original film, have urged fans not to spoil the new material for others.
The directors also looked back on the emotional experience of watching Endgame with audiences when it first opened in cinemas. They recalled hearing fans cheer, gasp and cry during key moments. They now plan to sneak into theatres again when Endgame: Encore returns.
In an Instagram post, the Russos remembered standing at the back of a theatre on opening night and watching a thousand strangers react to the film. They said they felt chills and may have shed a tear or two themselves.
They described the experience as magical, both as filmmakers and as two comic-book fans from Cleveland, Ohio, who grew up dreaming of telling stories that could make audiences leap from their seats, inspire them and fire their imaginations.
The directors said they would return to theatres for Avengers: Endgame: Encore to hear the reaction of a generation that may have experienced the film only in their living rooms. They then made one final request: audiences should not reveal the new surprises and should give others the same chance to discover them.
The new version will feature a fresh introduction from Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr, an extended ending and new mid-credit scenes.
The story leading to Avengers: Endgame began with Avengers: Infinity War in 2018. The film introduced Thanos, who sought all six Infinity Stones so he could wipe out half of all life in the universe.
The Avengers joined forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him. They fought Thanos and tried to protect the Infinity Stones but failed. Thanos eventually collected all six and used them in a single snap, causing half of the life in the universe to disappear.
When Endgame arrived in 2019, the surviving Avengers faced their biggest challenge. They had to find a way to bring back those who had vanished and repair the damage caused by Thanos.
Avengers: Endgame: Encore returns to cinemas on 25 September. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in theatres on 18 December.
