Why Fans Are Split About Infinity War And Endgame Possibly Returning To Theaters

Fans of the MCU can turn just about anything into a point of heated internet contention. In a move that one might suspect would be warmly received in all quadrants of fandom, fraternal Avengers filmmaking tandem Joe and Anthony Russo sounded off about their desire to bring Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame back for a theatrical re-release to celebrate the eventual end of quarantine.

The Russos gave an interview to CinemaBlend's ReelBlend podcast, in which they discussed — among other things — their plans to bring the Infinity Saga's climax back to the big screen. With every American currently living under some degree of public health lockdown to help combat the spread of COVID-19, you'd be hard-pressed to find a cinema anywhere in the continental United States that hasn't been forced to temporarily shutter its doors. After we finally emerge from this crisis, the Russo brothers think a celebratory re-release might be just the ticket to re-engage everyone in the community experience of theatrical viewing.

"Perhaps the most touching moment of our entire careers was a few weeks ago when the lockdown started, and Endgame was trending on social media because everyone was posting videos of opening-night screenings in their theaters with audiences really emotionally connected to the material," Joe Russo told ReelBlend. "For us, that's really the strength of the theatrical experience is that it combines audiences, and it combines you globally. To have been a part of movies that did that, on that scale with that level of emotional connection from the audience, was really very touching, and will be the highlight of our careers. So, using those films to get people back into the theaters? We would be ecstatic. I mean, any opportunity for people to go back and share in those stories together is one that we would support."

Sounds like a nice sentiment. You'd think fans would welcome the opportunity to emerge from coronavirus hibernation to see a pair of their favorite films as they were intended — and some certainly did — but a vocal minority have expressed a more cynical response to the move.

While there's certainly been a groundswell of support for the idea of re-releasing Infinity War and Endgame, there are always a few malcontents chiming in from the dark recesses of the internet.

From where we're standing, this move makes a lot of sense. For one thing, theaters are likely to re-open in a somewhat piecemeal fashion, and no studio is going to waste a fresh big-budget tentpole on a weekend with only a fraction of the nation's theaters actually open. Most of the blockbusters that were planned for the spring and summer of 2020 have already been pushed to Q4 or later. Better to fill movie theater seats with a recent classic than to open up without anything to actually play.

Those facts haven't stopped some fans from taking to Twitter to accuse the Russos, Marvel, and Disney for shamelessly attempting to cash in on an old property instead of bringing new content to market. While many took to Twitter to praise the idea as a boon to struggling theaters, others scoffed at the idea of "milking" the franchise by reissuing what's already the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Disney is obviously a behemoth company — and like any corporation, the Mouse House certainly isn't above the occasional act of shameless capitalism — but nor are they above the financial pain being caused by the current pandemic. The entertainment industry is suffering mightily right now. If re-releasing a couple of old superhero flicks helps put a couple shekels in the pockets of movie theaters and studios while also bringing people back together, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.