This Christmas, one of the biggest comic book movies of all time is heading to the big screen. The movie is Avengers: Doomsday – a huge team-up adventure picture which brings together heroes from all over the multiverse, including the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the New Avengers, Namor, and of course, The Avengers.
Their goal? To take on the villainous Doctor Doom, while also dealing with some world-ending disaster.
Now, for those keeping track, Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers movie in the series. However, Marvel fans will be more than aware that in the grand scheme of things, this is also the 39th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This will be exciting for audiences who have kept track of the previous 38 entries, and who have watched all of the Marvel TV shows that have been released over the past five or six years. However, if you’re someone who lost their way somewhere around the release of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, and you now don’t know your Shang-Chi from your Sylvie, you might be getting a little bit anxious right now.
Are you expected to watch 38 movies and various TV shows before you watch Avengers: Doomsday? More importantly, do you need to watch all of the old X-Men and Fantastic Four movies, just to understand why these characters are included in this new Avengers movie?
Well, hopefully this post can help you out a little, by providing some background information, as well as a couple of useful suggestions, and a possible watchlist, should you want to catch-up or refresh your memory. And it’s important to note the watchlist presented below is a ‘possible watchlist’, because you don’t have to watch lots of other movies and shows ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, if you really don’t want to.
Marvel movies, just like Marvel comics, are written to be as accessible to everyone as possible. This means, new stories will include key information about the past which is important to the narrative moving forward, so that everyone can follow along.
Yes, if you have watched all 38 previous MCU movies, plus all the old X-Men movies, the Fantastic Four movies, and various other Marvel-related films and shows, you will of course have a deeper appreciation for the new film. You might even spot a couple of in-jokes or call backs that might go over the head of a newcomer.
However, you should still be able to enjoy what is being presented even if you have lost track of what came before. The studio, the directors, and the writers do not set out to confuse audiences or alienate anyone, so the story of Avengers: Doomsday should be fairly self-explanatory as you watch it.
This means, if you don’t have time to re-watch any past Marvel projects, or do a little bit of homework, you shouldn’t be put off from heading to the cinema to watch the latest entry. If all you want to watch is Avengers: Doomsday, then go see Avengers: Doomsday when it opens in December and don’t worry about anything else.
However, if you do have time to cram in some past Marvel movies and shows, and you are quite concerned that you’ve lost touch with the MCU since the release of Avengers: Endgame, then below you will find a curated list of movies and TV shows which should prove useful. The following films and shows revolve around the core cast of the new movie, and should fill you in on details that explain who everyone is and what they’ve been up to.
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What to watch before Avengers: Doomsday
Should you wish to watch some (but not all) Marvel movies and television shows ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, the following are going to be the most useful.
- X-Men (2000)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Loki: Season One (2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
- Loki: Season Two (2023)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
- Thunderbolts* (2025)
- Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Please note: The list above is a curated selection which cherry picks titles from all of the Marvel/MCU titles that have been released. This list does not include every show or movie since Endgame, just the titles which will be most useful for Doomsday.
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X-Men (2000)
First on the list is X-Men (2000), which is not actually part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and instead exists in another universe which pre-dates the MCU. However, as the X-Men are a key part of Avengers: Doomsday, having an awareness of the characters will help, and 2000’s X-Men is arguably the best place to begin.
This initial entry in the long-running X-Men movie series explains who all the main players are, explores the relationship between Professor Xavier and Magneto, and should give you all the background information you really need moving forward. You could watch other X-Men films if you wish, as characters such as Nightcrawler (from X-Men 2) and Beast (from X-Men: The Last Stand) do appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but you only really need a flavour for who these characters are.
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Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
These next two films were colossal hits back in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and are considered milestones within the MCU. While Avengers: Doomsday will focus on its own story, the new movie does have links to the events of Infinity War and Endgame, so being familiar with these two films will be useful, especially when it comes to where we last left Iron Man and Captain America.
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Loki: Season One (2021)
Switching from films to a TV show now for the first season of Loki. This series picks up directly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, to explain what happens next for the Norse god of mischief.
The first season – which comprises six episodes – explains who the Time Variance Authority (TVA) are, what the multiverse is, and what Loki’s place in all of this is. To begin with, just watch episodes one to six of season one and then take a pause until a little later on in the watchlist (see below) for season two.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
It’s back to films for the next suggestion on this watchlist, and it’s time for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This film is an origin story for Shang-Chi (if you feel you need to know more about the character), and should provide you with background details on this future Avenger.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
The next movie on this list is the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. This film picks up shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with T’Challa passing away and his sister Shuri having to take on the mantle of the Wakandan hero.
Shuri and M’Baku play a role in Avengers: Doomsday, so having some knowledge of those characters and their current journey would be helpful. Watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could also be useful as it introduces Namor, who also appears in Avengers: Doomsday.
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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
If you wish to know what Thor has been up to since the events of Avengers: Endgame, then you may wish to check out Thor: Love and Thunder. The film zeroes in on Thor’s personal life, including his relationship with on/off girlfriend, Jane Foster, and sets the stage for what life looks like for Thor ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
You may also wish to pick up with Ant-Man, who also features in Avengers: Doomsday. Ant-Man’s most recent adventure was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which also introduces the villainous Kang, who connects to the first season of Loki, as well as the second season.
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Loki: Season Two (2023)
Speaking of Loki, the second season picks up from where season one left off, with Loki experiencing some time-related shenanigans. This season also leaves Loki at a key place in the MCU, which sets up where he is in terms of Avengers: Doomsday.
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Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Back to the X-Men universe (or sorts) for this next movie: Deadpool & Wolverine. The multiverse plays a significant part in Avengers: Doomsday, and Deadpool & Wolverine spends a great deal of time exploring what is currently happening with the multiverse, which could be very useful if you need help understanding all these alternate universes.
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Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, the world needed a new Captain America, and former Falcon, Sam Wilson, took up the shield. Should you wish to know most about Sam’s most recent journey ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, then Captain America: Brave New World will fill you in.
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Thunderbolts* (2025)
A number of new characters have been introduced into the MCU since Avengers: Endgame, including Red Guardian, US Agent, and Yelena Belova aka the new Black Widow. Thunderbolts* fills in some key details about who all these characters are, and brings them together as a team who will feature in Avengers: Doomsday.
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Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
And finally, the last suggestion on this watchlist is Fantastic Four: First Steps – the first FF movie in the MCU. The events of this film take place on an alternate universe, but the characters will be crossing over for Avengers: Doomsday.
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As noted earlier in the post, you don’t have to watch lots of movies and TV shows ahead of Avengers: Doomsday if you really don’t want to. If you simply don’t have the time, just watch the new film and take it from there.
Alternatively, the list provided above should give you background information on all the major heroes in Doomsday. So you can work your way through the list as suggested, or you can pick and choose the films and shows you really want to focus on.
Feel you already know enough about the X-Men? Then don’t worry about re-watching the 2000 movie – it’s merely included on the list for audiences who have know nothing about the mutant super-group.
Likewise, if you feel you know enough about Sam Wilson or Ant-Man, then don’t worry too much about Captain America: Brave New World or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Just familiarise yourself with the characters and go from there.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Avengers: Doomsday. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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