Avengers: Endgame Is Secretly The MCU's Most Important Pre-Doomsday Release Of 2026

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By

Umair Nakade

Published May 3, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

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2026 is proving to be a massive year for Marvel, featuring a lineup packed with projects fans have waited for years. At the center of this lineup stands Avengers: Doomsday_**. Marking the first Avengers film in seven years, it is easily the biggest upcoming event. The project highlights the shocking return of Robert Downey Jr. to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But this time, however, he is trading his armor to play the villainous Doctor Doom, facing off against a desperate roster of heroes trying to save the multiverse from total collapse.

The overall scale of this movie is expected to be enormous, with Joe and Anthony Russo returning to direct. They plan to deliver the same deep emotion and high stakes seen throughout the Infinity Saga. By featuring an iconic team-up with The Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, and the X-Men, the film is set to shape the future of the franchise.

Yet, with all attention firmly fixed on Doctor Doom, the most crucial release of 2026 is currently going unnoticed. Before _Doomsday _arrives to change the multiverse, the studio is planning to set the stage with a different event. Surprisingly, the most important movie on the current Marvel schedule is not a new story, but rather the grand return of Avengers: Endgame to theaters.

Avengers: Endgame's Re-Release Serves As A Direct Prequel To Doomsday

When Marvel first announced that Avengers: Endgame was returning to theaters, it seemed like a standard re-release. However, this upcoming event will actually be much more than a simple rerun. During the recent Sands International Film Festival in Scotland, the Russo Brothers shared some huge news.

The Russo Brothers revealed that this updated version of the movie will act as a direct bridge to the events of Avengers: Doomsday. The directors further confirmed that the new cut will feature new footage designed to set up the upcoming storyline.

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S.H.I.E.L.D. · Clearance Assessment How Well Do You Know**The Avengers?

🌏OriginsAssembled ☠VillainsInevitable ⚡BattlesEndgame 🛡TeamInitiative 💫LegacyForever

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! →

QUESTION 1 / 8ORIGINS

01 The Avengers first assembled in Marvel Comics in 1963. In the original comic, the team formed to battle a villain who had been manipulated by his adopted brother. Which villain brought the original Avengers together?

AUltron BThanos CLoki DKang the Conqueror

✓ Correct! In Avengers #1 (September 1963), Loki manipulated the Hulk into going on a rampage, which led Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp to band together. They defeated Loki and decided to form a permanent team — the Avengers were born. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Loki. In the original 1963 comic, Loki tricked the Hulk into a rampage, which brought together Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Ultron came later, Thanos is a cosmic threat, and Kang is a time-traveling villain.

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QUESTION 2 / 8TEAM

02 In the MCU, Tony Stark famously declared “I am Iron Man” at a press conference, breaking the superhero tradition of secret identities. In which year’s MCU film did Tony Stark first appear as Iron Man?

A2006 B2008 C2010 D2012

✓ Correct! Iron Man (2008) launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The film’s post-credits scene with Nick Fury teased the Avengers Initiative, kicking off the most successful film franchise in history. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is 2008. Iron Man premiered on May 2, 2008, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. It was the first film in the MCU and set the stage for everything that followed.

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QUESTION 3 / 8VILLAINS

03 Thanos, the Mad Titan, sought to collect all six Infinity Stones to achieve his genocidal goal. In Avengers: Infinity War, he succeeded in his plan. What did Thanos do with the completed Infinity Gauntlet?

ADestroyed the universe BSnapped away half of all life CBecame ruler of Earth DTraveled back in time

✓ Correct! With a single snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of all living creatures in the universe. Known as “The Blip,” this devastating act erased trillions of lives and set the stage for the Avengers’ desperate time heist in Endgame to undo the damage. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is that Thanos snapped away half of all life in the universe. His twisted philosophy of “balance” drove him to commit universal genocide with a single snap, making it one of the most shocking moments in cinema history.

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QUESTION 4 / 8BATTLES

04 In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America proved worthy of wielding Thor’s enchanted hammer during the final battle against Thanos. What is the name of Thor’s hammer?

AStormbreaker BGungnir CMjolnir DJarnbjorn

✓ Correct! Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, bears the inscription “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Captain America wielding it in Endgame was one of the most celebrated moments in MCU history. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Mjolnir. Stormbreaker is the axe Thor forged in Infinity War, Gungnir is Odin’s spear, and Jarnbjorn is an axe Thor used in the comics before Mjolnir. Mjolnir is the iconic enchanted hammer.

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QUESTION 5 / 8TEAM

05 Black Widow, born Natasha Romanoff, is one of the founding MCU Avengers. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she was trained as an assassin in a secret Soviet program. What is the name of this program?

AThe Red Room BHYDRA Academy CThe Winter Soldier Program DDepartment X

✓ Correct! The Red Room was a covert Soviet training facility that turned young girls into elite spies and assassins known as Black Widows. Natasha was subjected to brutal conditioning and sterilization. Her escape and defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. was explored in the 2021 Black Widow film. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is The Red Room. HYDRA is a separate evil organization, the Winter Soldier Program created Bucky Barnes, and Department X is from the comics. The Red Room is the infamous Soviet program that forged Natasha into Black Widow.

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QUESTION 6 / 8ORIGINS

06 The Hulk was created when Dr. Bruce Banner was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during a weapons test. What type of radiation transformed Banner into the Hulk?

ACosmic Rays BPym Particles CGamma Radiation DTerrigen Mist

✓ Correct! Dr. Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he designed, absorbing a massive dose of gamma radiation. This transformed him into the Hulk — a being of near-limitless strength whose power increases with his rage. Gamma radiation remains central to the Hulk’s mythology. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Gamma Radiation. Cosmic Rays gave the Fantastic Four their powers, Pym Particles are Ant-Man’s shrinking technology, and Terrigen Mist activates Inhuman abilities. Gamma radiation is what created the Incredible Hulk.

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QUESTION 7 / 8LEGACY

07 In the MCU, after Steve Rogers retired as Captain America, he passed his shield to a new hero to carry on the legacy. Who became the new Captain America?

ABucky Barnes BSam Wilson CJohn Walker DIsaiah Bradley

✓ Correct! At the end of Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers chose Sam Wilson — the Falcon — to carry on the Captain America legacy. Sam’s journey to embrace the shield was explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, and he fully took up the mantle as Captain America. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Sam Wilson. While Bucky Barnes was Captain America in the comics, Steve chose Sam in the MCU. John Walker was temporarily given the shield by the government, and Isaiah Bradley was a forgotten super soldier from the past.

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QUESTION 8 / 8VILLAINS

08 Ultron is an artificial intelligence who becomes one of the Avengers’ deadliest enemies. In the MCU’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which Avenger inadvertently created Ultron?

ABruce Banner BHank Pym CTony Stark DVision

✓ Correct! Tony Stark created the Ultron program as a global peacekeeping AI, using technology from Loki’s scepter (which contained the Mind Stone). The AI became sentient and immediately decided humanity needed to be eradicated. In the comics, Hank Pym created Ultron, but the MCU shifted this to Stark. ✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Tony Stark. While Hank Pym created Ultron in the comics, the MCU changed this to Tony Stark. Bruce Banner assisted but it was Tony’s initiative. Vision was actually created from Ultron’s technology, not the other way around.

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Mission Debriefing Your Avengers Clearance Level

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Are you worthy of lifting Mjolnir — or still a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee?

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Since there are no other major Marvel movies scheduled before Doomsday_, this extended version of _Endgame _serves as a perfect prequel. Given that _Endgame _was the last film the Russos directed for Marvel, picking up the narrative exactly where they left off is a brilliant move.

Furthermore, Marvel recently confirmed that Chris Evans is officially returning as Steve Rogers. This new footage creates the perfect opportunity to showcase his final mission. By finally showing Captain America traveling through time to return the Infinity Stones, the studio can smoothly link the end of the Infinity Saga directly into the new Multiverse era.

Endgame's New Footage Could Reveal The Multiverse Consequences Of Steve's Final Choice

_ Chris Evans as Steve Rogers looking at his child in Avengers: Doomsday

During Infinity War_, the Ancient One warned Bruce Banner that removing the Infinity Stones from their proper places and time would create dangerous new realities. Although Bruce promised to return the stones to their proper places to avoid creating new timelines, returning items like the Soul Stone and Reality Stone was never going to be easy.

Furthermore, Steve's decision to remain in the past to live a quiet life with Peggy Carter likely triggered a massive time paradox. The upcoming new footage could reveal that Steve's choice to live a double life caused severe damage, accidentally fracturing the multiverse. This resulting timeline chaos provides the ideal setup to introduce the next major threat to the MCU.

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By Ben Gibbons

The Russo Brothers can easily leverage Captain America's time-travel actions to tease Doctor Doom just before his main movie. However, expecting a lengthy appearance from this new villain in these bonus scenes would probably be asking too much.