What to watch before Avengers: Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday brings together the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts and the X-Men. That's a lot of story, but you don't need all of it. These are the essentials, in story order.
The essentials
Watch these in this order. They take about 57 hours, so an hour a day gets you there in 57 days.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Meet Steve Rogers, and the Tesseract and Hydra that drive the Infinity Saga.
Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers' origin, and how Nick Fury got the idea for the Avengers.
Iron Man
Where it all began: Tony Stark builds the suit and tells the world he's Iron Man.
The Avengers
The team comes together for the first time, and Thanos is revealed.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Hydra inside S.H.I.E.L.D. and the return of Bucky set up Civil War.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Meet the Guardians, and see what an Infinity Stone can do.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ultron, Wanda Maximoff and the birth of Vision.
Captain America: Civil War
The Avengers split over the Sokovia Accords, and Black Panther and Spider-Man arrive.
Doctor Strange
Stephen Strange, the mystic arts and the Time Stone.
Thor: Ragnarok
Thor and Hulk's story leads straight into the opening of Infinity War.
Black Panther
Wakanda and T'Challa, who make their stand in Infinity War.
Avengers: Infinity War
Thanos collects the Infinity Stones, and half of all life disappears.
Avengers: Endgame
The Avengers' last stand against Thanos, and the end of the Infinity Saga.
WandaVision
Wanda's grief, and her power as the Scarlet Witch.
Loki: Season 1
Loki meets the TVA and finds who's at the end of time, which opens up the multiverse.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Doctor Strange's spell breaks the multiverse open for Spider-Man.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Strange and Wanda face the dangers of travelling between universes.
Loki: Season 2
Loki's choice at the end of time holds the multiverse together.
Deadpool & Wolverine
The TVA, the Void and Fox's mutants crash into the MCU.
Thunderbolts*
A new team of antiheroes forms, and its final scene points to what's coming.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel's First Family, from their own universe, joins the story.
If you have more time
Optional, but they add to the story. About 16 hours in all.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Sam Wilson takes up the shield as the new Captain America.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Meet Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Wakanda after T'Challa, and the arrival of Namor.
Captain America: Brave New World
Sam's first film as Captain America.
X-Men
Doomsday brings back actors from Fox's X-Men films, starting here.
X2
The original X-Men cast at their best.
Questions
What do I need to watch before Avengers: Doomsday?
The essentials are Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, Loki: Season 1, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Loki: Season 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They take about 57 hours.
When does Avengers: Doomsday come out?
Avengers: Doomsday is coming to cinemas on 18 December 2026 in the US.
Do I need to watch every Marvel movie before Avengers: Doomsday?
No. The essentials here cover the story Doomsday builds on. Everything else is a bonus if you have time.
Should I watch the X-Men movies before Avengers: Doomsday?
It helps. Doomsday brings back actors from Fox's X-Men films, so X-Men (2000) and X2 are worth a watch if you have time.
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Be ready for Avengers: Doomsday
Chronologica turns this list into a schedule that finishes before release day, and tells you how many hours a week that takes.