The Russos Say You're 'Required' To See 'Endgame' in Theaters Again

I’ll be upfront and say that I’m already on the hook for Avengers: Doomsday. I love event comics, and the Russo Brothers have been able to capture the feeling they bring on film twice now, so I’ll happily give them a chance to do so again. Hell, I’ve even gotten to the point where I’m getting excited about fan theories on Reddit! I’m not proud of it, but I’m hyped. That said, even I am not going to see Avengers: Endgame in theaters again before Doomsday comes out, no matter what the Russos say.

Endgame is rereleasing on September 25th, potentially giving it a chance to reclaim its domestic box office crown from Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But this version of Endgame will have four extra minutes of footage that will apparently connect the film directly to Avengers: Doomsday in a way that would have been impossible at the time because this was never the plan. It’s a big old retcon, which I’m fine with, but I’m not about to find five to six hours (gotta count travel) to go see a movie I’ve already seen for a scene or two that will likely end up on YouTube.

But no, no! The brothers who once insisted that movie theaters were old news because they started making hundred-dollar streaming garbage have suddenly had a change of heart. Joe Russo recently told Fandango (via THR) that there is a natural progression from Endgame to Doomsday (lol) with the movies and shows that have happened since. “But I think it’s important to see Endgame again in theaters for two reasons: One, you’re going to have a lot of fun … and two, I think it’s required viewing for following the story in Doomsday.” I don’t think that’s going to go well for you, Joe!

First and foremost, I’ve taken a room temp, and folks already aren’t super thrilled about potential homework for Endgame, even if Marvel did release a watchlist that narrows things down. Folks just want to be able to go see a movie, and should be able to expect that, because the Russos have delivered it before. I genuinely think that Avengers: Infinity War is pretty accessible despite being a culmination of many things. Endgame, though? Probably not as easy to just pick up and watch (nor is it intended to be).

Ideally, folks should be able to walk into Doomsday without having watched the 14 movies (one of which they’re now supposed to see in a theater) and one TV show the company put on its watchlist. Just because I don’t mind a little buildup doesn’t mean it’s conducive to enticing a wide audience. But, as I said, this will likely be moot when the scene gets dropped on YouTube, or the whole thing ends up on Disney+. The former already happened when the film got rereleased the first time.