5 Reasons Why Avengers Endgame: Encore Ruled The Box Office
by Ryan Scott · /FilmAdd SlashFilm on Google:
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting its groove back, thanks in no small part to an old favorite. Namely, "Avengers: Endgame." After a rough year at the box office in 2025, the MCU is now stringing together some successes. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" recently passed the $2 billion milestone and is now one of the biggest movies ever. Picking up where Spidey left off, the "Avengers Endgame: Encore" re-release did big business over the weekend, becoming the number one movie around the world.
The "Encore" edition of "Endgame" topped the charts domestically with $26 million, edging out newcomers such as "Heart of the Beast" ($20 million) and "Primetime" ($19.1 million). The re-release also pulled in a hugely impressive $60 million internationally, giving it an $86 million global total. That makes it one of the biggest openings for a theatrical re-release ever. Seven years after "Avengers: Endgame" took the MCU to its record-shattering box office peak, the culmination of the Infinity Saga is once again enjoying a run as the biggest movie on the planet.
With this re-release, the lifetime total for "Endgame" now stands at $2.88 billion, bringing it ever closer to once again overtaking James Cameron's "Avatar" ($2.92 billion) as the highest-grossing movie ever. Whether or not the re-release can accomplish that feat remains to be seen.
In the meantime, it's worth looking at why this re-release was so darn successful. How did Disney and Marvel Studios pull this off? Was there more to it than just the love people have for this wildly successful blockbuster? We're looking at the biggest reasons why "Avengers Endgame: Encore" ruled the box office. Let's get into it.
Avengers: Endgame is one of the most popular blockbusters ever made
It's easy to say, but it's no less true that "Avengers: Endgame" is one of the most successful blockbusters of all time. Not just in terms of what it made in raw box office dollars but in terms of its enduring popularity as well. Certain blockbusters kind of come and go, making tremendous sums of money without necessarily having a major cultural impact. That's not at all the case with the MCU's crowning achievement.
"Avengers: Endgame" wrapped up threads from previous movies in the MCU in a deeply satisfying manner. More than that, it delivered on all of the spectacle and surprise one came to expect from the very best that this franchise had to offer. It stuck the landing, and that's a big reason why so many people showed up to experience directors Joe and Anthony Russo's massive superhero crossover on the big screen again.
Not unlike other successful theatrical re-releases such as "Jurassic Park" or "The Lion King" from years past, the math maths pretty easily here. "Endgame" is a wildly popular movie that people still love. So, they were more than happy to shell out to see it again. Plus, the seven-year gap is just enough time for people to fondly remember what it was like seeing this movie on the big screen for the first time.
The short of it? It's easy enough to understand why hardcore MCU fans might want a nostalgic viewing experience to remind them of the good times that were had back in 2019.
Nostalgia for when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was at the height of its powers
Seven years ago, the MCU was the be all, end all when it came to having a shared experience with others around the world in the pop cultural sphere. In other words, Marvel Studios could do no wrong, and "Avengers: Endgame" was the victory lap of all victory laps. There was nothing like it before, and there certainly hasn't been anything like it since.
Marvel's 2025 box office proved that the MCU has fallen from grace, though. Gone are the days of a movie like "Captain Marvel" making $1 billion globally without batting an eye. These films are no longer automatic must-see events for the masses like they were in the pre-pandemic days. All of this to say that the success of the "Endgame" re-release suggests that a certain section of steadfast fans has a great deal of nostalgia for when the MCU was at the height of its powers.
While I'm not here to open up the larger can of worms that is examining the MCU's output during the Multiverse Saga, there's no denying that Marvel Studios has delivered more misses or mixed bags than it ever did during the Infinity Saga. That has made the conversation around the MCU less overtly exciting and more contentious in some ways.
It's not hard to grasp why fans would like to recall the time not too terribly long ago when these movies inspired nothing but excitement and unbridled joy from the moviegoing majority. There may not have been screams of joy capable of shaking paint off the walls when Cap grabbed Thor's hammer this time around, but that moment and other ones like it can bring viewers back to that time in 2019.
People still absolutely love The Avengers
Not to once again state the obvious, but these things are not always all that complicated. The fact is, general audiences still absolutely love "The Avengers." And, in this case, we're talking about "The Avengers" as a cinematic franchise and the characters at the center of that property. Namely, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
2012's "The Avengers" redefined blockbuster filmmaking by making $1.51 billion worldwide, successfully bringing together several disparate, individual superhero franchises under one roof. Ever since, the fondness that the masses have for this collection of heroes has been undeniable. That remained true even at moments that others might argue are low points in the MCU's catalog.
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" taught Marvel a lesson that backfired years later, but it was still a huge hit and a movie people like more than its reputation might suggest. When it comes to "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," though? We're talking about some of the most roundly beloved mainstream blockbusters ever made. Period. Taken as a whole, these movies and their success turned these versions of these storied characters into cherished cinematic icons.
All of this to say, it's not hard to see why the finest hour that Earth's Mightiest Heroes ever enjoyed on the big screen would bring people out en masse once again. It's not rocket science. People straight-up adore this team of OG Avengers, and they want to see them do their thing. At least until December rolls around, this is the best way for people to do that.
The promise of exclusive new footage teeing up Avengers: Doomsday
Disney and Marvel Studios didn't just arbitrarily decide to release "Avengers Endgame: Encore" in the hopes of drumming up some easy cash. There's a reason why they executed a full, wide-ranging promo campaign for the re-release. It all has to do with hyping up December's "Avengers: Doomsday," which is hoping to help end the uneven Multiverse Saga on a high note.
A big part of what helped make this re-release worth the squeeze for hardcore fans was the promise of new footage that helped tee up the ball for what's to come. "Avengers Endgame: Encore" includes a new ending and credits scenes, all of which tie directly into "Doomsday." And while we won't get into spoilers here, let's just say that those scenes are significant and will undoubtedly inspire a whole lot of conversation amongst tried and true Marvel fans.
Yes, Marvel Studios is probably going to release these scenes online in the not-too-distant future. No, those scenes alone probably wouldn't justify watching a three-hour movie again in a theater. But for anyone who might have been on the fence or not paid much attention to this re-release otherwise, exclusive footage from one of the year's most highly-anticipated movies was an added value element that was tough to ignore.
Curiosity about what's coming later this year absolutely got a chunk of people off the couch.
Hype for Avengers: Doomsday is finally starting to show itself
When "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" were en route to theaters in 2018 and 2019, respectively, there was a palpable, impossible to ignore hype building. It wasn't just online, either. This hype was very real and resulted in colossal cultural moments centered around popular cinema. And while it hasn't quite felt that way yet when it comes to the forthcoming "Avengers: Doomsday," the hype is beginning to reveal itself.
The fact that this re-release took in damn near $90 million around the world on a single weekend speaks volumes. "Avengers Endgame: Encore" and the success it's enjoying is the biggest indicator yet that the anticipation for "Doomsday" is very real. It also doesn't hurt that the Russo Brothers have dubbed "Endgame" required viewing ahead of "Doomsday." Fans evidently listened.
But even before this re-release, "Doomsday" set a box office record for Marvel months ahead of its arrival, doing over $50 million in pre-sales 100 days out. That number has grown by a lot at this point. So, even if it doesn't feel like this movie has the excitement behind it that "Infinity War" or "Endgame" did, the numbers we can see on paper, which is what really matters to Hollywood studios at the end of the day, suggest the interest is very real.
Basically, a theatrical re-release of "Endgame" seven years after its initial, record-breaking success probably wouldn't have made this much money unless it was linked to the impending launch of a new "Avengers" movie of seemingly equal importance. Don't count "Doomsday" out.
"Avengers Endgame: Encore" is in theaters now.