Every MCU Movie And TV Show You Need To Watch Before Avengers Doomsday

The first full trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday is here, and if you’re a regular ole Marvel fan, you’ve likely fallen off the wagon since Avengers: Endgame in 2019. That’s okay! It’s nearly impossible to keep up with all the movies and TV shows in the MCU nowadays, so you’d be forgiven for not having seen all 37 films and 17 television series it encompasses. Luckily, you don’t need to see them all to understand what goes down in Doomsday. While it’s likely you don’t need to know much to enjoy Doomsday, here are the movies and TV shows you should be familiar with to get the full experience when it hits theaters this December.

1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) & Endgame (2019)

Considering it’s the second highest-grossing film in history, I’d be shocked if you’re reading this article and haven’t seen these two films. If you’re familiar with the many, many characters that appeared in this climactic two-part finale, you’re already mostly done! Of course, while we won’t be seeing the characters that died in these movies, a Loki variant from another universe (still Tom Hiddleston, of course) and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers make triumphant returns. We can only hope there’s a great reason to bring them back after such powerful endings to their stories.

2. Loki (2021) and/or Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Many fans will argue that Loki is one of the best of the Disney Plus TV series, with good reason; our favorite trickster god is back at it again in what you might describe as a buddy cop comedy alongside Owen Wilson. You don’t need to watch both seasons of the show, but it’d be good to be acquainted with the TVA (Time Variance Authority) and the multiverse, which is established and explained here. Alternatively, these things are re-explained in the irreverently hilarious Deadpool & Wolverine, so if you’ve seen that film you’re covered! It’s pretty likely, seeing as it’s the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. Personally, I recommend watching it anyway, as it’s one of the better MCU movies in recent years. The multiverse, variants, the sacred timeline, anchor beings, and the TVA will all play central roles in Avengers Doomsday, so brush up!

3. Thunderbolts* The New Avengers (2025)

This one should be pretty clear from the name, but the Thunderbolts play a key role in Doomsday as, well, the new Avengers. This motley crew is made up of Black Widow’s younger sister Yelena, their father the washed-up Russian hero Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes as The Winter Soldier, the failed new Captain America U.S. Agent, and Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp. Yeah, it’s a ragtag team. That’s kinda the point. You won’t want to miss this one regardless, as it’s the best Marvel movie since Endgame, but you’ll need to be intimately familiar with not only the characters who now make up the Avengers, but the status quo of SHIELD, HYDRA, and many other in-universe factions. Watch it now!

4. X-Men, X2, and X3: The Last Stand (Mix and Match!)

This one’s a little tricky due to Fox’s inability to keep a singular timeline for the 13 (yes, 13!) X-Men films they produced from 2000 to 2020, or even for there to be continuity between more than a few of the films. The first three films, X-Men, X2, and X-3: The Last Stand do in fact exist in a single timeline, which will also make you very familiar with all the characters that will be returning for Doomsday. The following X-Men will be returning: Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler. I’d also expect to see cameos from Deadpool and Wolverine themselves. You should note this doesn’t follow the same continuity as those movies, but it also doesn’t really matter. I really recommend just watching the whole original X trilogy – they’re not the best movies ever, but they’re fun, full of heart, and so painfully early 2000’s in the best way. Get to know the characters and just vibe.

5. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Shang-Chi is honestly one of the better movies in the MCU overall, so I heartily recommend it right now regardless of your research duties for Doomsday. However, Simu Liu’s mystic warrior character will play a big role in the new movie, considering the fact that he was shown prominently in the trailer and that his sequel movie was canceled with some of the plot folded into this movie. The Ten Rings were hinted to have some connection to the multiverse at the end of the movie, and whether this plot thread will be tied up or left dangling, you’ll thank me after seeing the best fight choreography Marvel has ever had. Plus Hong Kong cinema legend Tony Leung is the villain, and easily one of the most memorable in the MCU.

6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

After the tragic and sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther himself, director Ryan Coogler (Sinners) made an extremely bold choice: rather than recasting T’Challa and filming the Black Panther sequel script he’d already written, he paused production to write a new script where the character had died between the movies. Wakanda Forever mostly follows his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) as she learns to become not only the Black Panther the world needs, but the queen Wakanda needs. Importantly, we also meet the villain Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), one of the MCU’s best villains by far. It’s an interesting introspection on grief, and while Wakanda isn’t the same without Boseman, it’s still worth your time to watch; Namor, Shuri, and fan-favorite M’Baku all play major roles in Doomsday.

7. Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)?

You might be asking, why? It’s because Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) is genuinely not required viewing before Doomsday. While Marvel’s first family will have a large role in the new film, it’s pretty impossible that you’re reading this and are not already familiar with the basics of who they are. Reed Richards is super smart and stretchy, Sue Storm turns invisible, her brother Johnny lights on fire (flame on!), and Ben Grimm is the Thing. You know, the big, strong rock man. And despite Dr. Doom featuring in both the 2004 and 2014 Fantastic Four movies, he actually did not appear at all in First Steps. Research done! Full disclosure, I did not enjoy this film; you’re free to watch it, but I’d recommend a skip.

There you have it! There is certainly some homework to be done, but it’s likely you’ve already done a good bit of it on your own. A few characters who appear in minor roles in Doomsday might be unfamiliar to you, such as Cassie Lange (Ant-Man’s daughter), but they also aren’t characters who really need explaining. Other movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and TV shows like WandaVision have some tenuous connections, but they’re really not important to the setup for Avengers: Doomsday. And while you could watch Captain America: Brave New World to familiarize yourself with Anthony Mackie as Captain America, don’t. It’s quite possible the worst movie in the MCU. Any other suggestions for prerequisite watching? Throw them down in the comments!