Marvel has finally given fans a major reason to revisit Avengers: Endgame. The new Avengers: Endgame Encore theatrical release includes additional footage that directly connects the emotional conclusion of the Infinity Saga to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
For years, fans believed that Endgame marked the end of the original Avengers’ story. Tony Stark sacrificed himself, Steve Rogers passed on his shield, and the remaining heroes began moving forward with their lives. But the new footage suggests that some of those endings may be the starting point for Marvel’s next major conflict.
With Loki returning, Doctor Doom making his move, and the Time Variance Authority witnessing the collapse of multiple universes, Endgame Encore could be essential viewing before Doomsday arrives.
Here are the biggest connections between the two movies.
1. Loki’s Visit to Steve Rogers Could Be Where Doomsday Begins
One of the most important additions in Endgame Encore involves Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter.
In the original Endgame, Steve returns the Infinity Stones to their proper timelines before choosing to remain in the past and live a life with Peggy. Their story concludes with Steve finally receiving the peaceful future he always wanted.
However, the new footage changes what happens after that reunion.
Loki, wearing his Time Variance Authority uniform, arrives at Steve and Peggy’s home. When Peggy asks whether she can help him, Loki responds that he can help them.
This unexpected encounter raises several questions. Why would Loki approach Steve after his decision to remain in the past? What danger could threaten the life Steve has built? And why would the God of Mischief need Captain America’s help?
According to Disney’s account of the new footage, the Russo brothers deliberately revisited Endgame to establish a path toward Doomsday. Anthony Russo explained that the new story needed to pick up where the earlier film left off. <Cite refs={[“turn517864view0″,”turn517864view1”]}/>
This suggests that Steve’s ending may have consequences for the next Avengers story, although the precise reason for Loki’s visit remains a mystery.
2. Loki’s Role as Guardian of the Multiverse Is Suddenly at Risk
To understand Loki’s appearance, we must look at the ending of Loki Season 2.
At the conclusion of the series, Loki sacrifices his freedom to hold the branching timelines together. His transformation makes him responsible for protecting the multiverse from collapse.
But if Loki is visiting Steve Rogers instead of remaining in his position, something significant may have changed.
The new TVA footage provides another clue. Mobius, Casey, and O.B. are shown witnessing the collapse of multiple universes. According to the Russo brothers, the scene depicts a catastrophic event in which thousands of universes disappear in seconds. <Cite refs={[“turn517864view0″,”turn517864view1”]}/>
This creates a direct narrative connection between Loki’s storyline and Doomsday.
Perhaps the multiverse is collapsing faster than Loki can manage. Alternatively, the crisis could involve a threat that the TVA cannot control.
Whatever the explanation, Loki’s knowledge of branching timelines could become crucial to understanding what is happening.
3. Doctor Doom Is Already Hunting Bruce Banner
Another major addition shows Doctor Doom confronting Bruce Banner.
Banner has been attempting to suppress his gamma radiation inside a secured underground facility, apparently believing that he can prevent Hulk from escaping.
Then Doom appears.
He tells Banner, “I’m here to collect you,” before the two disappear.
This scene is particularly interesting because it suggests that Doom is not simply waiting for the Avengers to discover him. He is actively seeking specific individuals before the larger conflict begins.
Why would Doom need Bruce Banner?
One possibility is that Banner’s scientific intelligence or gamma-related abilities are relevant to Doom’s plan. Another is that Doom wants to remove a powerful Avenger before the heroes can unite against him.
The scene does not establish his exact motivation, but it gives Banner a direct connection to the upcoming conflict.
It also suggests that Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which features Banner, could form another link in the wider storyline.
4. The TVA’s Multiverse Crisis Could Explain Why the Heroes Must Unite
Perhaps the most significant clue in Endgame Encore is the TVA’s view of multiple universes collapsing.
The footage depicts realities approaching catastrophic collisions, with the TVA struggling to understand the scale of the disaster.
This connects naturally to the concept of incursions, in which universes collide and threaten one another.
The idea is particularly relevant to Marvel’s Secret Wars comic-book storylines, which explore the destruction of realities and the creation of Battleworld under Doctor Doom’s rule.
If the MCU follows a similar direction, the heroes might initially focus on saving their own universes before discovering that the crisis affects everyone.
That would explain why Doomsday brings together the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men characters.
Disney has officially described the film as a story in which heroes from three distinct universes face an existential threat. <Cite refs={[“turn426661search0″,”turn517864view0”]}/>
The new footage does not confirm every detail of Doom’s plan, but it strongly establishes the multiverse as a central part of the upcoming story.
5. Does Robert Downey Jr.’s Return Connect Iron Man to Doctor Doom?
The final connection is more mysterious.
At the end of the original Endgame, the sound of Tony Stark creating his Iron Man armour serves as a tribute to the character and his journey through the MCU.
The new Endgame Encore footage revisits that moment, incorporating images of Downey’s Tony Stark making his mask before shifting to Doctor Doom creating his own mask.
This parallel invites viewers to compare the two characters.
Both are brilliant inventors, and both possess the intelligence to change the course of events around them. However, their motivations and experiences are different.
Marvel has confirmed Downey’s casting as Victor von Doom, but the visual parallel does not prove that Doom is an alternate version of Tony Stark. That remains a theory rather than an established fact. <Cite refs={[“turn517864view1″,”turn426661search0”]}/>
Still, the connection could make the Avengers’ confrontation with Doom emotionally complicated, especially for characters who remember Tony as the hero who saved the universe.
Final Verdict: Endgame Was Not the End of the Story
Avengers: Endgame Encore establishes several important bridges to Avengers: Doomsday: Loki’s unexpected visit to Steve Rogers, Doom’s encounter with Bruce Banner, the TVA’s multiverse crisis, and the visual connection between Tony Stark and Doom.
Together, these additions suggest that Marvel is revisiting the consequences of its earlier stories rather than simply introducing a completely separate conflict.
The most important question is whether Loki can help the heroes understand the multiverse crisis before Doom’s plan reaches its final stage.
With Avengers: Doomsday scheduled for December 18, 2026, the answers are getting closer. One thing is clear: Marvel wants audiences to look at Endgame differently, because the ending of the Infinity Saga may be the beginning of the MCU’s next great battle.