Avengers: Infinity War
Brings the Avengers and Guardians together against Thanos and begins the final battle that concludes in Endgame.
Movie 2018Phase 32h 29minIMDb 8.4 Essential
Movies to Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday
This 12-title shortcut covers the MCU stories that lead into Avengers: Doomsday.This guide lists them in release order, so you can get ready without watching the entire MCU.Full MCU release order.
Avengers: Doomsday releases in US theaters on 18 December 2026, and on 16 December in the UK.
FranchisesAll 21 franchises
Frequently asked questions- All
- Iron Man
- Captain America
- Thor
- Avengers
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Ant-Man
- Doctor Strange
- Spider-Man
- Black Panther
- Captain Marvel
- Loki
- What If...?
- Hulk
- Hawkeye
- Daredevil
- Defenders
- Punisher
- Jessica Jones
- Luke Cage
- Iron Fist
- WandaVision
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2018
2019
Avengers: Endgame
Sets up the MCU's current heroes, teams and several story threads that carry forward into Avengers: Doomsday.
Movie 2023Phase 33h 2minIMDb 8.4 Essential
2021
Loki season 1
Introduces variants, branching timelines and the multiverse rules that become important on the road to Doomsday.
Series Outside timePhase 4IMDb 8.2 Essential
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Introduces Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings before his return in Doomsday.
Movie 2024Phase 42h 12minIMDb 7.3 Essential
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Expands the multiverse and brings characters from other universes into the MCU. Doomsday builds on that idea.
Movie 2024Phase 42h 30minIMDb 8.1 Essential
2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Introduces incursions and shows what can happen when universes collide, an idea that becomes important heading into Doomsday.
Movie 2024Phase 42h 6minIMDb 6.9 Essential
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Brings Wakanda and Talokan into the wider MCU story and introduces several characters returning in Doomsday.
Movie 2025Phase 42h 41minIMDb 6.6 Essential
2023
Loki season 2
Finishes Loki's multiverse story and shows where he stands as the MCU moves toward Doomsday.
Series Outside timePhase 5IMDb 8.2 Essential
2024
Deadpool & Wolverine
Brings the Fox-era mutant world into the MCU's multiverse story. It also has Gambit, who returns in Doomsday.
Movie 2024, Earth-10005 and the VoidPhase 52h 7minIMDb 7.5 Essential
2025
Captain America: Brave New World
Shows Sam Wilson fully established as Captain America and introduces the new Falcon before their return in Doomsday.
Movie 2026-2027Phase 51h 58minIMDb 5.6 Essential
Thunderbolts*
Introduces the New Avengers and connects their story with the Fantastic Four ahead of Doomsday.
Movie 2027Phase 52h 6minIMDb 7.1 Essential
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Introduces the Fantastic Four, their universe and Doctor Doom. It is one of the most direct lead-ins to Doomsday.
Movie 1964, Earth-828Phase 61h 55minIMDb 6.8 Essential
2026
Want a little more context?
Thor: Love and Thunder
Shows where Thor's life and relationships stand before he returns in Doomsday.
Movie 2025Phase 41h 59minIMDb 6.1
The Marvels
Creates a new link between the main MCU and another universe and adds extra context for the multiverse story.
Movie 2026Phase 51h 45minIMDb 5.5 Essential
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Adds some of the latest MCU context before Doomsday. Spider-Man is not in Marvel's announced Doomsday cast.
Movie 2026Phase 6IMDb 8.1 Essential
About this guide
The core list covers the characters, teams and multiverse story that lead into Doomsday. It starts with Marvel’s own Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday collection on Disney+ and trims it to the 12 MCU titles that matter most for it.
This list leaves out titles that mainly add character background, side stories or broader MCU context. You can watch them too, but this shorter route does not need them.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to watch every Marvel movie before Avengers: Doomsday?
No. Marvel's own Doomsday collection on Disney+ is the starting point here, trimmed to 12 MCU titles. It leaves out the two X-Men movies, plus Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, since Endgame already shows where those characters end up. Watch the 12 and you'll have the main MCU context going into Doomsday.
Which X-Men movies do I need to watch before Doomsday?
Marvel includes X-Men and X2 on its official Doomsday watchlist. This guide leaves them out because it is MCU-focused. They add background for some returning X-Men characters, but you can follow the MCU side of the story without them.
Is Loki required?
Both seasons are part of this core list and Marvel includes them in its official countdown. They explain the timelines, variants and multiverse setup that lead into Doomsday.
Do I need to watch Eternals before Avengers: Doomsday?
No. Marvel left Eternals out of its Doomsday collection, and the announced cast has none of its characters. It is a standalone story you can skip for this list.
Do I need to watch Daredevil before Avengers: Doomsday?
No. Marvel left Daredevil out of its Doomsday collection and its announced cast. Daredevil: Born Again is part of the MCU, but it is a street-level story you can skip for this list.
How long does the Avengers: Doomsday watch list take?
The 12 core titles take roughly 33 hours, including both seasons of Loki. The three optional titles add about 6 more hours of context.
Why is this watch order in release order?
Release order introduces the relevant characters and ideas in the order audiences originally encountered them. It also keeps the list simple, because you move forward through the MCU one release at a time.