Avengers: Endgame Encore Unveils Four Puzzling New Scenes That Set the Stage for Avengers: Doomsday

Marvel is set to release Avengers: Endgame Encore in theaters, offering audiences a chance to rewatch the climactic finale of the Infinity Saga on the big screen while simultaneously surfacing a fresh batch of new scenes designed to bridge the gap between the original film and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. These additions are deliberately crafted to establish connective tissue with the Doomsday narrative and to lay the groundwork for the cinematic debut of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom. The footage has now surfaced online ahead of the Encore’s theatrical arrival, and while the leaks appear to be genuine, the age of AI-generated media means viewers should approach them with a healthy degree of caution.

Among the newly revealed moments, the most compelling centers on Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner in the aftermath of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Banner, still reeling from the physical and psychological toll of being hijacked by Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey, has retreated into an underground bunker to test a new “gamma suppression system” in a bid to reclaim control over his Hulk persona. His experiment is abruptly interrupted when the lights flicker and an armored presence makes itself known. Banner hears — but never sees — Downey’s Doom declare, “I’ve come to collect you,” before both men vanish, leaving behind only a glowing green rune on the ground, reminiscent of the marks left when Asgardians traverse the Rainbow Bridge.

The Doctor Doom Recruiting Mystery

The central question these scenes raise is what Doom actually wants with Banner. The evidence suggests he is assembling some kind of team, though the purpose remains deliberately murky. Is he drawn to Banner’s intellect, or does he covet Hulk’s raw power? Given that past films have already positioned Doom as a commanding voice within the multiverse crisis, and given that the Doomsday trailers show him casually deflecting Thor’s Stormbreaker, it seems unlikely he requires additional muscle. Instead, the implication is that he is building a brain trust.

One theory circulating among fans is that Doom is quietly constructing his own version of the Illuminati. In the lead-up to the 2015 Secret Wars comic, that team drew from members including Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Beast, Namor, Black Panther, and Black Bolt. Doom himself was never part of that group, yet he pursued similar objectives and forged his own alliances. The question now is whether the MCU’s Doom will seek out these heroes on Earth-616, or whether he is instead planning for a post-multiverse future — perhaps assembling a Battleworld contingency plan and casting Banner among its ranks, a role a version of Hulk did fill in the comics.

Whatever the case, it seems that Ruffalo has a bigger part to play in Avengers: Doomsday than we realized. Ruffalo wasn’t even part of the initial cast chair announcement. But if there’s one takeaway from Avengers: Endgame Encore, it’s that Doomsday’s cast is going to be even bigger than we thought.

Jesse Schedeen, IGN

Notably, Banner’s expanded role is a significant development, as Ruffalo was not included in the original cast confirmation. This single detail hints that the ensemble for Doomsday will be considerably larger than early reports suggested, a point that has generated considerable buzz within the fan community.

Why Is the Multiverse Collapsing?

A second new scene shifts focus to the Time Variance Authority (TVA), where Mr. Mobius (Owen Wilson), Casey (Eugene Cordero), and Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan) confront the rapidly deteriorating state of the multiverse. They watch helplessly as their charmingly low-resolution computer displays reveal worlds colliding and several Earths declaring all-out war on one another. By the scene’s conclusion, it is reported that no fewer than 3,000 Incursions are occurring simultaneously — one of which appears to be Earth-10005, the home of Fox’s X-Men.

This moment underscores the importance of the Loki series as a precursor to Doomsday. Even as Marvel pivoted away from Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the central villain of the Multiverse Saga, the Loki series chronicled the rebirth of the multiverse and placed Tom Hiddleston’s redeemed Loki at its heart. Yet no sooner has reality been restored than it begins to come apart at the seams.

What remains unresolved is the root cause of this collapse. Why is it happening all at once rather than gradually? Could Steve Rogers’ decision to travel back in time to be with Peggy Carter be the catalyst? Early in the footage, TVA mascot Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) reminds her employees that all beings must remain within their home universes for the sake of existence — and Loki’s sudden appearance at Steve and Peggy’s house suggests that one pivotal character may have violated those very rules.

Loki at Steve and Peggy’s Door

Endgame Encore recontextualizes the heartwarming finale of the original film. This version lingers longer on the dancing between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), until a tender kiss is interrupted by a knock at the door. Steve quickly hides as Peggy answers, only to discover the visitor is none other than Loki.

From Loki’s TVA attire, it can be inferred that this is a version of the character from somewhere in the middle of the Loki series — committed to the TVA’s mission but not yet seated atop the multiversal throne. Echoing Miss Minutes’ warning, his arrival appears designed to inform Steve that he is violating the laws of existence by traveling back in time to be with Peggy. However, it seems unlikely that Loki intends to force Steve to return to his rightful place, especially given that Steve has remained missing from the present-day MCU ever since his journey back in time with the Infinity Stones.

What makes this moment so provocative is the possibility that Captain America himself is the catalyst driving the wave of Incursions. If Steve’s choice to live for himself has cost the multiverse dearly, it reframes his personal sacrifice in a far more ominous light.

The Significance of Doom’s Armor

Endgame Encore concludes with a final addition to the original film. The theatrical release had no post-credits scenes — a rarity for the MCU — and instead offered only the sound of a hammer striking metal, a callback to Downey’s Tony Stark forging his original suit of armor in 2008’s Iron Man. Encore, however, presents this ending in a strikingly different context: the same metallic sound now accompanies Doom forging his metal mask, a fitting way to subvert the original film and to make audiences wonder whether introducing Doom was always part of the plan.

Beyond its narrative payoff, this scene raises a lingering question about the true significance of Doom’s armor. Why is he wearing it at all? The trailers and the earlier Hulk scene confirm that Doom possesses immense magical abilities, which makes his reliance on a technologically advanced suit all the more curious. In the comics, Doom used the armor to conceal his scarred face — so is he masking similar injuries here? Based on promotional material and Vanessa Kirby’s dialogue in the second trailer, it appears Doom is also mourning the deaths of his family, and the sash on his left arm — a relic of his late wife — suggests a deeper emotional tie to the armor.

Looking Ahead