Marvel Studios is giving fans another reason to revisit Avengers: Endgame. The studio has released Avengers Endgame Encore, a re-release of the 2019 blockbuster featuring around five minutes of never-before-seen footage.
The new material includes an extended ending and three post-credit scenes. More importantly, the additions appear to connect directly to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
The scenes bring back familiar characters. They also raise fresh questions about Loki, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner and the Time Variance Authority. Together, they add new pieces to Marvel’s growing multiverse story.
Loki Appears at Steve Rogers’ Door
The first new scene continues immediately after Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter’s emotional ending. In the original Endgame, the story finishes with the couple sharing a dance and kiss.
However, the Encore version goes a little further.
Inside their home, Peggy hears a knock at the door. When she opens it, she finds Loki standing outside in a Time Variance Authority uniform.
Meanwhile, Steve watches from hiding. Naturally, he is stunned by Loki’s unexpected appearance.
Which Loki Is This?
There is an important twist. This is not the Loki who was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
Instead, it is the 2012 version of Loki. He escaped with the Tesseract during the Avengers’ time-heist mission. Later, the TVA captured him.
Following the events of the Loki series, this version of the character became the God of Stories. As a result, he now has a much deeper connection to Marvel’s multiverse.
Why Loki’s Return Matters
Steve’s decision to remain in the past has always created questions about Marvel’s timeline. Now, the new scene suggests that the reality connected to Steve and Peggy could become important again.
Moreover, Loki’s appearance hints that the TVA is monitoring this timeline.
Rumors have also connected Steve and Peggy’s family to Earth-8282. However, Marvel has yet to reveal exactly how that reality fits into the larger story.
Doctor Doom Comes for Bruce Banner
Next, the focus shifts to Bruce Banner.
Bruce is living in an underground bunker and working on a gamma-suppression serum. His goal is to keep the Hulk under control.
However, his experiment suddenly takes an unexpected turn.
The lights begin to flicker. A green glow fills the room. Then, Doctor Doom’s voice breaks the silence.
Bruce asks why Doom has arrived.
Doom gives him a chilling answer: he has come to collect him.
The scene then cuts to black as the Hulk lets out a powerful roar. Moments later, the scene returns to the bunker.
Bruce and Doom are gone.
Only a glowing green symbol remains on the ground.
What Does Doctor Doom Want?
For now, Marvel is keeping Bruce’s fate a mystery.
Was he captured by Doom? Or does Doom need Banner’s scientific knowledge for a larger plan?
Either way, the glowing symbol appears significant. It could suggest that Doom has access to a method of travelling between realities.
If so, that ability could become important during Avengers: Doomsday.
For now, however, Marvel has not confirmed Doom’s exact plan for Bruce Banner.
The TVA Detects a Multiverse Crisis
The second post-credit scene returns to the Time Variance Authority.
Mobius and Casey are back inside the TVA control room. They are monitoring activity across the multiverse.
At first, everything appears routine. Soon, however, the situation becomes much more serious.
The TVA screens show two universes moving towards a collision. Missiles are also seen flying between them.
One of the universes is identified as Earth-10005. This is the reality associated with Fox’s X-Men universe.
But that’s only the beginning.
Thousands of Universes Under Attack
The TVA soon discovers that the problem is happening across multiple realities.
According to the scene, around 3,000 universes are facing attacks at the same time.
As a result, the threat is far bigger than a single-world conflict.
This revelation also provides a possible explanation for the massive crossover expected in Avengers: Doomsday. Heroes from different realities could be forced to join the same battle as the multiverse faces an unprecedented crisis.
Another Endgame Callback?
There is also a detail that has caught fans’ attention.
The number mentioned is roughly 3,000.
That immediately reminds Marvel fans of Tony Stark’s emotional line, “I love you 3,000,” from Avengers: Endgame.
Whether the number is a deliberate callback or simply a coincidence remains unclear. Nevertheless, it adds another intriguing connection to the original film.
Doctor Doom Forges His Iconic Mask
Finally, the fourth new sequence focuses entirely on Doctor Doom.
The villain is shown working at an anvil. He carefully forges his iconic metal mask while the sound of hammering fills the scene.
At first, the moment appears straightforward. However, the audio creates a strong connection to Tony Stark.
The sound of metal being hammered recalls the early Iron Man films. Tony famously built his armour using similar workshop sequences.
Now, that familiar sound accompanies Doctor Doom.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Marvel Connection
The moment becomes even more interesting because Robert Downey Jr. plays Doctor Doom in the upcoming Marvel storyline.
Downey Jr. spent more than a decade portraying Tony Stark. Therefore, using the familiar sound of armour being created adds an obvious thematic connection.
However, the scene does not confirm that Doctor Doom is Tony Stark.
Instead, it appears to establish a visual parallel between two very different characters.
Tony used technology and ingenuity to build his Iron Man armour. Doom, meanwhile, is creating his own iconic identity through the mask.
That contrast could become especially significant when Avengers: Doomsday brings the new Doom into direct contact with Marvel’s heroes.
How the Four Scenes Set Up Doomsday
Taken together, the four scenes expand Marvel’s multiverse storyline.
First, Loki’s appearance connects the TVA to Steve Rogers’ alternate reality. Next, Doom’s encounter with Bruce Banner suggests that the villain is already pursuing his own agenda.
Meanwhile, the TVA discovers a crisis affecting thousands of universes. Finally, Doom’s mask-forging scene establishes the villain’s growing presence.
Therefore, the Encore footage feels less like simple bonus material and more like a bridge between Avengers: Endgame and the next major Avengers story.
The new scenes also leave plenty of questions unanswered.
What does Loki want from Steve and Peggy? Why does Doom need Bruce Banner? What is causing the attacks across thousands of universes? And how will the different realities eventually collide?
Marvel appears to be saving those answers for the next chapter.
What do you think the four new scenes mean for Avengers: Doomsday? Share your theories and keep following for more Marvel updates.
About the author
Neha Nikharge is Assistant Editor at Awesome TV and a writer for AWSM Times. Neha covers Bollywood, OTT releases, celebrity interviews and pop culture for South Asian audiences in the US and around the world, and has written more than 4,500 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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