‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Experiences Significant Second-Week Decline at the Box Office

Avatar photoHrvoje Milakovic
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Hollywood has increasingly relied on re-releases, but few have been promoted as vigorously as ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore.’ Disney brought the 2019 blockbuster back to theaters on September 25, featuring new footage that sets the stage for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which is set to release on December 18. This strategy provided a fresh angle for a seven-year-old film.

Initially, the approach proved successful. The re-release opened with a strong $26 million domestically, including $11.2 million on Friday, $8.6 million on Saturday, and $6.2 million on Sunday. Internationally, it added $60 million, bringing its global total to $86 million, making it the third-best opening ever for a re-release, trailing only 1997’s ‘Star Wars’ and 2011’s ‘The Lion King 3D.’

Disney’s global distribution chief, Andrew Cripps, shared with Deadline that the results indicate a “massive fanbase for this franchise.” However, the second weekend tells a different story. Box office analyst Luiz Fernando reported that the re-release earned approximately $1.1 million on its second Friday, reflecting a staggering 90% drop from its opening Friday.

Fernando pointed out that this decline is sharper than that of ‘The Lion King,’ which earned $6.1 million on a comparable day, down 31.9%. He emphasized that audiences perceive a reissue as just that, regardless of new scenes, extensive promotional efforts, or the Avengers brand. The only exception he noted was ‘The Lion King.’

Despite this, the film’s overall performance remains strong. ‘Endgame’ has accumulated an eight-day re-release total of $32.9 million and a lifetime U.S. total of $891.3 million. Fernando anticipates a second three-day weekend gross of between $3.5 million and $4.5 million, indicating a drop of 82% to 87%.

Deadline’s projections align closely, estimating ‘Encore’ will earn $4.2 million over the weekend, marking an 87% decline, which Screen Rant notes would be the largest second-week drop for any release or re-release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If these numbers hold, it would tie with a concert film for the worst sophomore weekend on that list.

Several factors contribute to this trend. The additional footage had already circulated online following its Korean release, and JoBlo observes that audiences are now aware of the new scenes. It seems that those eager to see them did so during the opening weekend.

The release strategy also resulted in a front-loaded opening. Disney reported that the film played in over 3,000 theaters, including more than 1,300 Infinity Vision screens, which accounted for approximately 52% of the opening weekend gross. Such premium-format events tend to see a quick decline in attendance.

Screenshot 2026 09 29 at 15 24 02 Avengers Endgame Rotten Tomatoes

Nonetheless, the headline figures are impressive. The $86 million global debut ranks as the second-highest ever for a re-release, surpassed only by the 2012 ‘Titanic 3D’ reissue. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ now boasts a worldwide total of $2.885 billion, just shy of ‘Avatar’s’ $2.92 billion.

Studios are clearly taking note. Following ‘Encore,’ Sony is set to release ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ which will also feature new footage. If this trend continues, a big opening followed by a steep decline may become the norm for modern re-releases.

For Marvel, the real prize lies ahead. ‘Doomsday’ is set to arrive on December 18, and ‘Encore’ has already fulfilled its role in reminding fans of their passion for the franchise.

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