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Avengers: Doomsday is set to bring together characters and storylines from across Marvel’s cinematic history, making a little MCU homework worthwhile before the movie arrives. With familiar Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and multiverse characters all entering the mix, there is plenty to catch up on.
Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of the biggest events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent times. While the movie is a few months away from release in theaters, here is the official watchlist to binge on, welcoming Dr. Doom in the MCU. While you could attempt a full MCU rewatch, this curated list gives fans a more manageable way to revisit the stories, characters, and multiverse concepts that could matter when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in December 2026.
From the original X-Men movies and the Infinity Saga to Loki, Deadpool & Wolverine and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, here’s your MCU Watchguide to the 15 movies and shows worth checking out before stepping into Avengers: Doomsday.
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1. X-Men
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 82%
- Director: Bryan Singer
First on the list is X-Men, the 2000 superhero movie directed by Bryan Singer that introduced audiences to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, and the original black-suited cinematic version of the X-Men. The film sets up a world where mutants are feared by the government and are forced to prove their worth.
It should be noted that watching this flick is especially important because Avengers: Doomsday finally welcomes the X-Men into the MCU. Moreover, Marvel Studios’ December release will star actors from the 2000 entry, not the prequel reboots.
The X-Men actors set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday are Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Romijn, and Alan Cumming. Rumors also suggest that Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey will be returning as well. A new mutant seen alongside the highly praised cast is Channing Tatum’s Gambit.
2. X2: X-Men United
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 85%
- Director: Bryan Singer
Next up is X2: X-Men United, the 2003 sequel that expanded the storyline. The film sees Professor X and his team facing a new threat while also dealing with the complicated relationship between humans and mutants. Not only that, but Wolverine’s mysterious past also haunts him throughout the film.
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 80%
- Director: Joe Johnston
Coming to the MCU entries, Captain America: The First Avenger was the one to introduce Steve Rogers. Set during World War II, the film introduced important characters, including Peggy Carter, who is expected to appear in the Robert Downey Jr.-starring film as Captain Carter, and Bucky Barnes, who has now formed his own New Avengers. This is the film in which Steve Rogers gains his powers and faces Red Skull.
The film also introduced Tesseract, one of the most important cosmic objects in the MCU. The Tesseract will play a huge role in the background of Doomsday, as Loki has now become a god.
4. The Avengers
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 91%
- Director: Josh Whedon
Then comes the movie that first brought Earth’s mightiest heroes together. Released in 2012, The Avengers united Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye for the first time in one major MCU crossover. Meanwhile, the outing reintroduced audiences to Loki as one of the MCU’s major villains and gave the Avengers their first experience of an extraterrestrial invasion.
5. Avengers: Infinity War
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 85%
- Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Avengers: Infinity War is where the MCU’s enormous storyline begins moving toward its most devastating chapter. The film brings together practically every major hero across the MCU as Thanos attempts to collect all six Infinity Stones. With the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy joining forces, the movie becomes one of the franchise’s biggest crossover events.
The events of this film directly lead into Avengers: Endgame, making it a must-watch before revisiting the larger Avengers story.
For those unversed, the 2019 film is being re-released in the theaters, with additional footage detailing the build-up to Avengers: Doomsday. Avengers: Endgame Encore is released in theaters on September 25.
6. Avengers: Endgame
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 94%
- Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Avengers: Doomsday homework list is incomplete without Avengers: Endgame. The 2019 blockbuster concludes the Infinity Saga and follows the surviving Avengers as they attempt to reverse the consequences of Thanos’ actions that took place in Infinity War.
For those unversed, Endgame is also the movie that dramatically reshaped the MCU. Several original Avengers characters completed their stories, while the franchise moved toward a new generation of heroes. Moreover, Marvel has repeatedly connected the upcoming era of the MCU to the events and legacy of the Infinity Saga.
7. Loki
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 87%
- Director: Michael Waldron
Next comes Loki, Marvel’s Disney+ series starring Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief. The series takes audiences into the multiverse, introducing the Time Variance Authority, alternate timelines, and different versions of familiar characters. What’s more interesting is that Loki plays a major role in establishing how Marvel’s multiverse works.
The series also introduces concepts involving timelines, variants, and the larger structure of reality, all of which could become increasingly important as Avengers: Doomsday brings characters from different universes together.
8. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 92%
- Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Marvel took the viewers to a completely different corner of the MCU with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The 2021 film introduced Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and follows his return to his family after years away from his father, Wenwu, the leader of the Ten Rings organization. However, that return also unveils many unresolved mysteries. Other stars in the film are Fala Chen, Awkwafina, Ben Kingsley, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Meng’er Zhang.
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 93%
- Director: Jon Watts
Spider-Man: No Way Home has to be one of the most important multiversal stories in the MCU. The film sees Tom Holland’s Peter Parker asking Doctor Strange to help make the world forget his secret identity. Things then go spectacularly wrong, resulting in villains from previous Spider-Man movies entering the MCU. What’s more interesting is that the film also brings back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective versions of Spider-Man.
For those who did not notice, No Way Home perfectly depicts how different versions of Marvel characters can coexist within a larger multiverse. Not only that, but also how ill it is to tease the nature of a timeline.
10. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 84%
- Director: Ryan Coogler
Next on the list is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film deals with the death of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa while introducing Shuri as the new Black Panther. It also brings in Namor and the underwater kingdom of Talokan into the MCU.
Moreover, the introduction of new characters and political tensions surrounding Wakanda could become relevant as Marvel brings multiple superhero factions together for Avengers: Doomsday.
11. Captain America: Brave New World
- Streaming On: Disney+, Prime Video
- RT Score: 46%
- Director: Julius Onah
As the MCU enters its newer era, Captain America: Brave New World introduces Sam Wilson’s next chapter as Captain America. For those unversed, Sam officially takes on the Captain America mantle following the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
The film also expands the MCU’s political and superhero landscape while bringing back several familiar characters. While the whole movie is about Wilson’s journey as Captain America, the post-credit scene steers away from Doomsday.
12. Deadpool & Wolverine
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 77%
- Director: Shawn Levy
Now comes one of the biggest multiverse movies in Marvel’s recent history. Deadpool & Wolverine brings together Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman’s Logan, aka Wolverine, in a story that heavily explores variants. The feature is about saving a drowning universe as an illegal branch of the TVA hunts down Wade Wilson.
The film also plays with alternate realities, bringing several characters from the Fox-era Marvel movies into the MCU’s multiverse.
13. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 73%
- Director: Sam Raimi
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the film that goes even deeper into the concept of alternate universes. The 2022 film follows Doctor Strange as he deals with Wanda Maximoff and America Chavez while traveling through different realities.
In case you don’t know, the movie introduces audiences to the potentially dangerous consequences of multiversal interference. One of which is an incursion, essentially two universes colliding in a way that can threaten both realities, making the film especially relevant heading into Avengers: Doomsday.
14. Thunderbolts*
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 88%
- Director: Sam Raimi
The penultimate entry on Marvel’s list is Thunderbolts. The movie brings together Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, John Walker, and Taskmaster. What’s more interesting is that the group eventually takes on a new identity as the New Avengers. As seen in the trailer for Avengers: Doomday, all of these characters are present, fighting new characters from other universes, as well as Dr. Doom.
15. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Streaming On: Disney+, JioHotstar
- RT Score: 86%
- Director: Matt Shakman
Finally, Marvel wants fans to watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The film introduced Marvel’s first family with Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
For those unversed, Dr. Victor von Doom was also teased in the film multiple times and was both an ally and an enemy of the Fantastic Four.
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