A tiny change to a familiar Marvel moment could spark a surprisingly big debate. Fans are wondering whether Avengers: Endgame Encore might digitally or physically swap out William Hurt’s Everett Ross, giving Harrison Ford’s version of the character a place in the 2019 blockbuster’s updated cut.
Fans think Avengers: Endgame Encore could replace William Hurt’s Everett Ross
The theory centers on Marvel’s decision to bring Ford into the role after Hurt died in 2022. Ford first became the MCU’s new Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: Brave New World.
One fan suggested Marvel may have gone a step further by replacing Hurt in Ross’s Endgame appearance. “They may have even reshot Ross’s scene in Endgame with Ford,” the fan wrote.
Not everyone likes that possibility. “That’s disrespectful,” one commenter argued, while another said Hurt’s performance remains difficult to separate from the character. A different fan defended Ford’s casting as “the casting upgrade we didn’t know we needed,” showing that the debate cuts both ways. Others questioned whether Ford would even agree to film a brief replacement shot for a seven-year-old movie.
The speculation arrives as Marvel prepares to return Avengers: Endgame to theaters as Avengers: Endgame: Encore on September 25. The new version runs 185 minutes, four minutes longer than the original, although Marvel has not publicly confirmed that Ross footage will change. The re-release will also connect with Avengers: Doomsday, which gives fans another reason to revisit the Infinity Saga finale.
The original movie brought together Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Brie Larson for the Avengers’ final confrontation with Thanos. Released in April 2019, it became a box-office juggernaut, earning about $2.8 billion worldwide.
Despite the speculation, the original still carries strong audience approval. IMDb lists Endgame at 8.4/10, while Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 94% critics’ score and 90% audience score.
