Avengers: Endgame: Encore has made a major change to the epic Infinity Saga finale. The re-release adds a surprise appearance from Loki, reveals what happened to Bruce Banner after Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and introduces several huge clues about Doctor Doom and the Multiverse's impending collapse.
But what do these new scenes actually mean for Avengers: Doomsday? From Steve Rogers' shocking reunion with Loki to the TVA's discovery of thousands of Incursions, we're breaking down Avengers: Endgame: Encore's ending, explaining that, the movie's post-credits scenes, and the biggest questions they leave behind.
Loki Returns
Avengers: Endgame originally ended with the older Steve Rogers thinking back to his reunion with Peggy Carter. Now, when Steve Rogers and Peggy kiss, rather than fading to black, they're surprised to hear a knock at the door.
Steve hides around the corner while Peggy answers. The S.H.I.E.L.D. founder asks if she can help the man at the door, to which he replies, "I can help you. Both of you." It's Loki in his TVA uniform. Steve emerges from the shadows and comes face-to-face with his old foe before the screen cuts to black.
So, Captain America was remembering more than just his life with Peggy. Rumours suggest Loki will move them to a timeline where they'll be safe from the TVA—why that is remains unknown—and that Steve will eventually be drawn into Doctor Doom's mission to save the Multiverse. The big question, however, is how he later ends up in the present day as an elderly man to give Sam Wilson his shield.
This ending is certainly intriguing, and nicely sets the stage for Steve and Peggy's role in Avengers: Doomsday this December.
Bruce Banner Meets Doctor Doom
In the first post-credits scene, we learn that Bruce Banner, now grey-haired and bearded, has locked himself up in a military base two miles beneath the earth. After what happened in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he's ensured that Hulk can't get out and no one can get in. Still, he yearns for freedom and explains in a video log that he's been working on new Gamma-suppression techniques.
Before Bruce can go any further, a green glow appears, and the screen goes black. "Who are you?" Banner wonders before Doctor Doom replies, "Mr. Banner. I'm here to collect you." With that, we hear the Hulk's familiar roar, and they both vanish, leaving only a glowing green sigil on the floor behind them.
Why Doom has travelled to Earth-616 to essentially kidnap The Hulk is a mystery to us. He clearly has a use for the Green Goliath, leading us to suspect that the villain will somehow weaponise him against the Multiverse's Mightiest Heroes.
Victor Von Doom hails from Earth-828, the home of the Fantastic Four. Somehow, he's learned of The Hulk's existence, and if anyone is going to transform Bruce Banner into his evil Maestro persona, then it will surely be Doom.
Chaos In The TVA
The second stinger takes us back to the Time Variance Authority. Mobius arrives at work, and we see an "Employee Of All Time" placard on the wall featuring Loki.
Miss Minutes also provides some much-needed exposition for fans who haven't seen Loki, explaining, "There are a whole mess of universes out there. Our job is keeping them tidy and safe. So do us a favour and stay in your universe, so we don't have to hunt you down like a dog."
Casey and O.B. tell Mobius that an Incursion is taking place between Earth-10005 and Earth-1127. Earth-10005 is, of course, the X-Men Universe, and both realities are firing missiles at each other in a bid to destroy the other planet before both collide. That would explain why the X-Men's Earth appears to be in such a bad way when we return to it.
Suddenly, more Incursions begin until there are thousands taking place. With that, TVA mainstay O.B. declares, "The Multiverse is collapsing," setting the stage for the Final Incursion between Earth-616, Earth-828, and Earth-10005.
Doctor Doom Forges His Mask
The final stinger delivers perhaps the biggest surprise. Remember how at the end of Avengers: Endgame's credits we heard the noise of Iron Man forging his armour? Well, we now see that it was Doctor Doom forging his mask ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
There's not much to the scene beyond a quick shot of someone we assume is Victor using a hammer to forge his mask, before lifting it from his forge. We then catch a glimpse of the masked Doom before the screen cuts to black.
While some fans believe this connects Doom to Iron Man, we're putting this down to the Russo Brothers cleverly using their tribute to Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark to tease Victor's MCU debut. The ultimate hero has fallen, but this franchise's biggest bad has arrived.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18. As for Avengers Endgame: Encore, the re-release is now playing in theaters.