The energy surrounding the Avengers franchise is high coming out of E3 2019, which featured big announcements and reveals for both Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers and the Nintendo Switch exclusive Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. Even Chinese developer NetEase joined the fun by starting testing for its Avengers MOBA, Marvel Super War. Expect Avengers excitement to grow even more over the coming weeks, as Marvel has now announced that Avengers: Endgame will be returning to theaters.

Marvel isn't just expanding the current release of the Avengers: Endgame film that everyone's already watched, however. Marvel Cinematic Universe producer Kevin Feige made sure to clarify that this isn't an extended cut of the film. Rather, the new Avengers: Endgame release will feature all-new footage following the end of the movie. The additions are said to include a deleted scene, a tribute, and some surprises.

Feige also confirmed that the new "version" of Avengers: Endgame will release this next weekend. That puts it just over a week ahead of the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home and a few weeks ahead of the launch of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3.

While it's fun to consider what Marvel might be trying to do by re-releasing Avengers: Endgame, whether that be to cross-promote the games or earn that final $50 million in order to top Avatar for "Highest-Grossing Film Ever," that might not be the case. Marvel having post-credits scenes, deleted footage, and a tribute ready to deliver implies that this has been the plan all along. The Avengers: Endgame re-release was likely always intended to lead into the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

marvel's avengers square enix

The excitement for the Marvel cinematic universe and the Avengers films stands in unique contrast to the conversation surrounding the franchise in video games. The Avengers video game from Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, for example, is being criticized for its character models looking too similar to the Avengers film actors without licensing their likenesses. While Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 has avoided direct association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as much as it can, both in name and stylistically.

The Avengers: Endgame re-release is expected to arrive in theaters on June 21st, pending official confirmation from Marvel.

Sources: ComicBook.com, Screen Rant