Avengers: Endgame Encore is set to release in just a couple of weeks, an epic new re-release from Marvel Studios ahead of Avengers: Doomsday in December. Rather than being a straight re-release, Endgame Encore will reportedly feature brand-new footage to help tie the 2019 film to the upcoming Avengers movie. Keeping that in mind, it’s quite likely that the new changes on the way will affect Captain America more than anyone else.
As seen in trailers for Avengers: Doomsday, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is set to make a surprising return in the new movie, despite the happy ending he’d made for himself at the end of Endgame. He also passed on the shield and mantle of Captain America to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson.
Keeping that in mind, I have a pretty good feeling that the new Encore footage will help set up Rogers’ return, though the downside is what this might mean for the MCU’s new Captain America. Here’s how the biggest changes in Avengers: Endgame Encore could easily both help and harm Captain America.
Avengers Endgame: Encore’s Biggest Changes Could Be For Steve Rogers
By all accounts, it certainly seems as though Marvel Studios is looking to use the new Endgame Encore release to build up hype for Doomsday with the reports of a few minutes of extra footage. Apparently, average viewing formats will feature close to two minutes of new footage, while IMAX and premium “Infinity Vision” formats will have closer to three.
As such, adding new context to Steve Rogers’ ending and his upcoming return in Doomsday does feel like one of the most likely and easiest options for new footage. After returning the Infinity Stones to their respective timelines, Steve chose to return to the past and live out his life with Peggy Carter. Likewise, an elderly Rogers was shown handing over his shield to Sam Wilson, giving him his blessing to become the new Captain America. However, Steve’s return in Doomsday opens up all kinds of questions, especially with early teasers confirming that he and Peggy now have a child in the past.
If Endgame Encore’s new scenes are indeed all about Steve, Marvel Studios could use them to establish why his story isn’t actually finished ahead of the major multiversal conflict that’s coming in Doomsday. That said, putting an even bigger spotlight on Steve Rogers and his return to the MCU may arguably have some adverse effects.
The Focus On Steve Rogers Could Be Bad For Sam Wilson’s Captain America
The problem is that Steve’s return is already creating a potential issue for Sam Wilson (even before Encore’s release). After all, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was all about Sam Wilson’s struggle to become the next Captain America and what it truly means for him to wield the shield after Rogers. Likewise, Captain America: Brave New World continued Sam’s journey in the MCU and his intention by the movie’s end to rebuild a new team of Avengers ahead of Doomsday.
Sam deserves to be treated as Captain America in his own right rather than as a temporary replacement waiting for Steve to come back. That’s particularly important because Sam’s version of the character is fundamentally different from Steve’s. He does not have the Super-Soldier Serum, and his identity as Captain America is rooted in his own values, experience, and willingness to carry the shield.
Bringing Steve back does not inherently undermine that story. In fact, the two could coexist if Marvel makes their differences part of the point. However, if Endgame Encore makes Steve the central figure connecting the Infinity Saga to Doomsday, it could reinforce the idea that the MCU’s most important Captain America is still Steve.
That would be especially unfortunate after Marvel spent years building toward Sam’s succession. The ideal outcome would be for Endgame Encore to give Steve meaningful relevance to the upcoming Avengers story while still making clear that Sam Wilson is the Captain America in the modern-day MCU.
If Marvel can strike that balance, Steve’s return could strengthen both characters rather than potentially overshadowing one with the other.
Avengers: Endgame Encore releases in theaters on September 25th from Marvel Studios.