‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Tops Domestic Box Office With $26 Million, Setting Stage for ‘Doomsday’
Image Via: Hollywood Reporter
Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ returned to North American theaters over the weekend and claimed the top spot at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $26 million from 3,060 locations. The re-release, which includes unreleased footage and an exclusive look at the upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ also earned $60 million internationally for a global total of $86 million, marking the second-biggest worldwide rerelease ever behind only the 2012 ‘Titanic 3D’ reissue.
Domestic and Global Performance
The encore presentation averaged $8,497 per theater domestically. Approximately 52 percent of the domestic gross came from Infinity Vision screens, the newly launched premium large format certification from The Walt Disney Studios. The rerelease easily outpaced the weekend’s other new wide releases, including Sony’s ‘Resident Evil’ reboot, which took second place with $23.3 million in its sophomore frame, bringing its North American total to $103.4 million.
‘Re-releases rarely earn more than $10 million,’ said David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. ‘As a marketing exercise, [this] is an effective way to build early word-of-mouth.’
Infinity Vision Debut
The weekend marked the first theatrical deployment of Infinity Vision, a certification announced by Disney in April 2026 that requires auditoriums to meet rigorous technical standards including screens at least 50 feet wide, laser projection, and premium audio formats. ‘Disney’s standards for production quality are second to none, with every single detail of a film finely tuned for an immersive experience,’ said Andrew Cripps, Head of Theatrical Distribution for The Walt Disney Studios. ‘Infinity Vision certification extends that commitment to the theaters themselves.’
The format will next be used for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which opens domestically on December 18, 2026. The film is not screening in IMAX theaters, which are committed to ‘Dune: Part Three’ during its opening week, making Infinity Vision a key premium option for the Marvel release.
Path to Doomsday
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will bring together heroes from multiple universes, including the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men, against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Director Joe Russo recently told CBR that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor will return to the hardened, warrior-like mindset seen in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ ‘We love that sort of warrior version of him, that warrior who has lost everything, who is seeking meaning through battle,’ Russo said. ‘That is the journey he will go on against the greatest foe he’s ever met.’
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has also hinted that Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova will serve as a central figure in the film. In a recent Vanity Fair profile, Feige indicated that Yelena, who has appeared in ‘Black Widow,’ ‘Hawkeye,’ and ‘Thunderbolts*,’ will anchor the sprawling narrative as the leader of a new government-backed Avengers team.
The U.K. release of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ has been moved up to December 16, two days ahead of the domestic debut, according to ScreenRant and Empire Magazine.
Other New Releases
Among the weekend’s other newcomers, Paramount’s Brad Pitt-led survival thriller ‘Heart of the Beast’ opened in third place with $20 million domestically from 3,435 theaters. The David Ayer-directed film carries an $82 million budget and stands at 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. A24’s ‘Primetime,’ starring Robert Pattinson as ‘To Catch a Predator’ host Chris Hansen, debuted in fourth place with $19.2 million from 2,863 venues, marking the third-best opening ever for the studio. DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Forgotten Island’ struggled to find an audience, opening below expectations.
Latest Status
As of September 28, 2026, ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ holds the top spot on the domestic box office chart, with a global cume of $86 million. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is scheduled for a December 18, 2026 domestic release, with the U.K. opening set for December 16.
