In 2008, Marvel Studios kicked off a new era for superheroes with Iron Man (RIP, you’re missed). Eighteen years, 70+ movies, and 60+ series later, we have the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – a sprawling world of superheroes, villains, alternate realities, and multiverse chaos. Keeping up with it all is a task in itself. And before you’ve even finished this list, Marvel has decided to throw its most-awaited project at fans – Avengers: Doomsday!
What Can You Expect from Avengers: Doomsday?
Avengers: Doomsday wasn’t really supposed to look like this. The movie was originally announced as The Kang Dynasty, with Jonathan Majors’ Kang playing the big bad villain for the heroes to defeat. However, following his legal case – and the lukewarm reception of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – the project went through major creative changes.
By mid-2024, two very familiar directors – Anthony and Joe Russo – were brought in to bring a new storyline (with a new title and a new villain) to big screens on December 18th, 2026. The buzz reached sky-high with the announcement of Robert Downey Jr. entering the familiar world in a new mask – that of Doom.
Since then, a mix of teasers, trailers, and a special look has fans poring over every single second like a bunch of detectives: Steve Rogers rocking a baby, Professor X and Magneto reunited as Cyclops destroys some place, and Shuri and M’Baku meeting with the Thing.
The official trailer turns the chaos up a notch, with Thor attempting to bring together different superhero factions, and the highlight: Steve Rogers meeting Thor and catching Mjölnir. Meanwhile, the special look gives us more on Victor Von Doom’s past – and a glimpse of just how powerful he is.
What Are the Main Movies to Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday Releases?
For a cinematic universe as vast as Marvel’s, it’s equally difficult – and necessary – to keep up with the onslaught of movies and series. And for a movie that has heroes from three distinct universes, it’s imperative to do your homework for Avengers: Doomsday.
Luckily, Disney+ has given us the answer sheet in the form of a section called ‘Countdown to Doomsday’. It includes 15 essential titles you must watch so you don’t enter the theatres clueless on December 18th. We’ve added a few more that we think are worth including in that OG list:
| Title | Release Year | Why It Matters? |
| X-Men | 2000 | Introduces the X-Men universe (Fox), especially the ones appearing in the trailer – Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, and Cyclops. |
| X2 | 2003 | Expands more on the relationships between Professor X, Magneto, and the X-Men. |
| Iron Man | 2008 | Kicks off the MCU with Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., who now returns as Doctor Doom in Doomsday. His new mask might also serve as an unexpected callback to Tony Stark and his suit. |
| Captain America: The First Avenger | 2011 | Establishes Steve Rogers as well as shows his relationship with Peggy Carter, also confirmed to be in the movie. |
| The Avengers | 2012 | Acts as the blueprint for an Avengers team-up – that becomes a staple in the later movies. |
| X-Men: Days of Future Past | 2014 | Explores alternate timelines through Wolverine’s time travel and bands together the X-Men of different eras. This is the earth 10005 which we would see in Doomsday. |
| Captain America: Civil War | 2016 | Shows internal conflict within the Avengers, which might have a callback in Doomsday, while introducing Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to the band of MCU superheroes. |
| Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | Shows the scale of the Avengers’ biggest conflict while introducing the Infinity Stones. |
| Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | Sheds light on the post-Blip world, shows the fates of the old Avengers, and leaves a new generation to carry the torch. Also, with Steve making an appearance in Doomsday, the movie could even open with his dance with Peggy. |
| Loki | 2021-2023 | Explains the mechanics of time travel and Loki’s crucial role in keeping the multiverse intact. By physically holding the infinite branching multiverse together. |
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | 2021 | Not only can you spot Shang-Chi in the trailer, but fans also speculate he might be playing a vital role after all. |
| Spider-Man: No Way Home | 2021 | Spider-Man – or men – aren’t going to be in Doomsday (that we know of yet), but this particular film is great to see how a story with major multiverses works, even if it’s Spider-Man universes. |
| Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | 2022 | MCU’s resident wizard is not yet confirmed to appear, but even the movie’s name is enough to tell you what type of information it’ll give on the fifth Avengers movie. More importantly, the movie introduces the concept of incursions – events where the collision of universes leads to their destruction. Those are often triggered by frequent multiversal travel, something that happened a lot before Doomsday. |
| Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 2022 | Establishes Shuri as the new Black Panther and the Wakandans’ discovery of and alliance with the Talokanils. |
| The Marvels | 2023 | Sheds light on the cosmic side of the MCU through the intergalactic adventures of Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. Its post-credits scene also provides a major X-Men/MCU crossover, with Monica ending up in Earth-10005 with Beast and an alternate version of her mother named Binary. |
| Deadpool & Wolverine | 2024 | While both the titular characters aren’t slated to appear, this movie is important because it shows the way multiple universes operate. And of course, the Fox/MCU crossover. |
| Captain America: Brave New World | 2025 | Introduces the current Captain America and how the New Avengers are holding up. Also, the Leader’s direct warning about Doom. |
| Thunderbolts* | 2025 | Establishes the New Avengers. Also, the post-credit scene shows the Fantastic Four ship entering Earth-616. |
| The Fantastic Four: First Steps | 2025 | Introduces the Fantastic Four and their Universe. |
Some fans speculate that this list is anything but official, spewed out by the Disney+ algorithm. However, most agree that these titles would give a proper overview of the characters facing Victor von Doom. So, whether you’re a new fan, a casual viewer, or True Believers (as Stan Lee wanted the fans to be known), this is enough homework in preparation for Avengers: Doomsday.
Can’t Watch All 19? Here are the Avengers: Doomsday Essential Movies
Let’s say you’re all fired up to watch all 19 titles before December – but life has been getting in the way anyway. So, we have taken the liberty of shaving the list down to 12 essentials.
These are handpicked based on the ensemble cast, the different universes they come from, and the storylines that would most likely matter in Avengers: Doomsday. The titles left out aren’t exactly skippable, but they can be left in a ‘to-watch’ list if you’re short on time:
| X-Men | Loki – Seasons 1 & 2 |
| X2 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the TEN Rings |
| Iron Man | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
| The Avengers | The Marvels |
| Avengers: Infinity War | Thunderbolts* |
| Avengers: Endgame | The Fantastic Four: First Steps |
Who’s Missing from Avengers: Doomsday Cast?
Even with its vast ensemble cast, there are plenty of familiar faces missing from Avengers: Doomsday. There’s no sign of Nick Fury, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, or Rhodey/War Machine among the announced cast. The X-Men lineup is also missing Storm, Wolverine, and Deadpool, while Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, and Sif are absent from the announced Asgardian roster.
Of course, not being mentioned in the confirmed cast doesn’t mean they won’t appear – but for now, they aren’t in the confirmed Doomsday players. But that hasn’t stopped fans from hoping that some of the missing heroes could still show up after all. For instance, Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man (all three), and Captain Marvel are among the names that continue to pop up in fan theories and rumour mills. And with so much of Avengers: Doomsday still under wraps, unexpected cameos aren’t a far-fetched idea.
Release Order or Timeline – Which Watch Order Is Better?
That brings us to another important question – what would be the Avengers: Doomsday viewing order? Well, there are really only two ways of tackling a cinematic universe like Marvel: chronologically, honouring the timeline, or by the release order.
The answer is release order – always, especially if you’re a new fan. Because those mid- and post-credit scenes aren’t there just to keep you glued to your seat. Oh no, they actually act as little previews of what you can expect in the later releases. So, watching out of order might accidentally reveal plot points before you were originally intended to see.
For this marathon, stick to the release order – but seasoned Marvel fans can opt for the timeline order. And if you need some external help in tracking your progress, fan-made sites like MarvelWatchList.com and mcuwatchorder.site can do wonders.
Final Words
Avengers: Doomsday might come with some homework, but that’s just to get you ready for Marvel’s biggest crossover yet. Regardless, whether you’re here for Thor, the Fantastic Four, or Black Panther, you’d be leaving the theatres having watched decades of MCU history collide on-screen!
Doomsday Rewatch List
Select an era below to see the plot recap and its direct connection to Avengers: Doomsday.
