Avengers: Endgame Encore opened on September 25, as the official precursor to Avengers: Doomsday, and it topped the box office with $86 million worldwide. Videos from the opening weekend showed fans cheering louder than ever, but one moviegoer took things a little too far…
What Happened at the Avengers: Endgame Encore Screening?
A post on X is making the rounds showing a moviegoer throwing their Infinity Gauntlet popcorn bucket at the screen during a showing of Avengers: Endgame Encore. It happens during the climax of the final battle scene (right when Tony Stark steals the Infinity Stones from Thanos and declares, ‘I am Iron Man’).
The bucket in question looks to be one of the collectibles made for the re-release, either Regal’s Nano Gauntlet popcorn container or Marcus Theatres’ light-up Infinity Gauntlet LED bucket, which retails for $79.99.
The whole thing is funny for about three seconds… then you remember that other people paid to be in that cinema and the screen belongs to the theater. Online backlash came in quickly, with @kioskatthemall commenting: “These nerds demand you respect the MCU, and then they act like this in the theater.”
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Why Theater Workers Fear an Endgame Encore Trend
The video has raised very real concerns about disruptions to the movie experience and the ‘viral trend effect’.
This is what digital creator Nicholas Holiday had to say about the incident in a recent Facebook video: “It only takes one person to start doing something like that for more people to follow and do the same thing. So honestly, movie theater employees are worried this could become a trend. People go see the Encore movie, buy the [Infinity Gauntlet bucket] to fill it up right before the scene where Robert says, ‘I am Iron Man,’ and throw the [Infinity Gauntlet bucket], causing a mess for the theater.”
Is Bad Cinema Behavior Pushing Moviegoers Toward Streaming?
It’s no secret that movie attendance has dropped by almost half in the past two decades. That said, Encore’s $26 million domestic opening was the third-best start ever for a re-release, so audiences clearly still show up for a big event. So why do so many people still skip the cinema?
- Streaming habits: Around 83% of adults in the US use a streaming platform. Many people are simply happy to wait for the release on their preferred platform.
- Disruptive crowds: A 2023 survey revealed that 29% of participants said that disruptive behavior in cinemas had increased in recent years.
- Shorter attention spans: It’s a well-known fact that attention spans have gotten shorter, mostly because of mobile phone usage.
We’ve Been Here Before: The A Minecraft Movie ‘Chicken Jockey’ Chaos
When A Minecraft Movie arrived in April 2025, the ‘chicken jockey’ line turned screenings into complete chaos. Popcorn and drinks flew, a live chicken was smuggled into a Utah theater, and some chains warned that disruptive guests would be escorted out by police.
A few theaters started requiring chaperones for younger viewers, and a Florida Regal reported damage to a newly renovated auditorium just days after it opened.
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Cheering along can be part of the fun of a big fan screening, and we don’t think anyone is asking for library silence. The problems arise when the crowd stops watching the movie and the audience becomes the show. It makes sense why some people would rather wait for streaming. After all, you won’t get an Infinity Gauntlet to the eyeline from the comfort of your living room.
Theater employees may want to brace themselves for Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives on December 18. If you’re going to watch it, try to behave yourself.
