Seven years after changing the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame is back in theatres in 2026 with Avengers: Endgame Encore, and
fans are assembling once again. The re-release took in $3.8 million from Thursday previews in North America, on track for a reported $25 million-plus opening weekend. The original 2019 phenomenon remains one of cinema's biggest theatrical events, but Encore is not just asking audiences to relive the past. The new release comes with footage tied to Avengers: Doomsday, giving Marvel fans a reason to see Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye back together on the big screen again. Avengers: Endgame Encore is proof that Marvel nostalgia is still a force to be reckoned with at the box office. The $3.8 million preview haul has Encore surpassing the $3.4 million previews achieved by the 2025 re-release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. That re-release eventually opened to $25.4 million, offering one useful comparison for Marvel's latest theatrical return. Disney and Marvel are now eyeing a domestic opening weekend in the $25 million-$28 million range, which would be a decent number for a film that was originally released in 2019.
Avengers: Endgame to shake up box office again
The original Avengers: Endgame remains one of the biggest box office hits in cinematic history. It debuted in 2019 with a staggering $1.2 billion worldwide opening, and grossed around $2.8 billion worldwide. And it was the domestic box-office leader before the arrival of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Now that Endgame is back in a very different Marvel landscape, it is both a throwback and a promotional lead-in for the next chapter of the MCU. But Encore isn't just banking on nostalgia. The re-release is being marketed as a major tie-in to Avengers: Doomsday, featuring about four minutes of footage from the upcoming Marvel film. That exclusive material is expected to be one of the biggest draws for fans who have seen Endgame countless times already.
Surviving major Hollywood competition
The re-release has some stiff competition. Sony's Resident Evil, which debuted last weekend with around $61 million, is facing a second weekend in the neighbourhood of $24 million to $26 million. That puts it neck and neck with Endgame Encore for the number one spot.
Also drawing attention was Robert Pattinson's Primetime, which took in $2.7 million in previews. A24 is projecting an opening of $12 million-$16 million, though tracking has suggested the film could possibly reach or surpass $20 million. Brad Pitt's Heart of the Beast grossed about $2 million in previews and is looking at $17 million-$20 million.
Rounding out the big new releases is Forgotten Island, from Universal and DreamWorks Animation. The animated film raked in around $1.48 million in previews and is projected to debut in the mid-teens.
Breaking $20 million barrier
The crowded marketplace could also make for an unusually strong late September weekend. At this point, four films are projected to break the $20 million barrier: Endgame Encore, Resident Evil, Primetime and Heart of the Beast.
Premium formats are another part of the theatrical push for Endgame Encore. It is playing on approximately 1,300 premium large format screens and 390 IMAX venues, although it will be sharing those screens with Resident Evil.
Expected global performance
The re-release is expected to bring in another $25 million or so globally, potentially giving the international weekend a total of around $50 million. That would add to the original movie's massive lifetime total and could again put the Marvel blockbuster in the conversation surrounding the all-time global box office rankings.
But the most important question is how long the re-release can keep up the momentum. Re-releases rely heavily on the opening-weekend fan demand, especially when the audience is returning primarily for bonus material. So Endgame Encore is a different challenge than a normal new release: getting fans who already own the movie or streamed it to see it again on the big screen, and see the new Doomsday footage, is worth the price of the ticket.
The strong preview number is a good sign for Marvel. Whether or not Endgame Encore lands on the high end of its projections, the $3.8 million start is a sign that the emotional draw of the Infinity Saga is alive and well, and the promise of Doomsday is enough to get audiences to assemble one more time.
