Every Marvel film and Disney+ TV show to watch before ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Avengers: Doomsday is about to bring together three universes, but which Marvel films and Disney+ shows should you watch beforehand? Find out below.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the fifth Avengers film arrives seven years after Avengers: Endgame and begins the final act of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Heroes from three separate universes will be placed on a collision course as Robert Downey Jr. returns to Marvel as Victor von Doom – rather than Tony Stark.

The vast ensemble cast combines Sam Wilson’s Avengers, the New Avengers, Wakandans and Talokans from Earth-616 with the Fantastic Four of Earth-828 and returning characters from Fox’s original X-Men films. Chris Evans is also back as Steve Rogers, alongside Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.

The first full trailer showed Doom confronting Thor, the Avengers facing the X-Men and Steve wielding Mjolnir once again. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in cinemas on December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.

All the Marvel films and Disney+ shows to watch before Avengers: Doomsday

Disney+ has published an official 15-title watchlist covering the Avengers, X-Men, multiverse and each of the new teams entering the fight against Doom.

The complete official selection is broken down below. NME has also added Spider-Man: Brand New Day as a final entry because, despite being absent from Disney’s list, its post-credits scene appears to point directly towards Marvel’s next crossover.

THE ORIGINAL X-MEN

X-Men (2000)

The first Fox X-Men film introduces Patrick Stewart’s Professor Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, James Marsden’s Cyclops and Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique. All four actors reprise their roles in Doomsday, making this the foundation of its returning mutant universe.

X2 (2003)

The sequel expands the original team and introduces Alan Cumming as the teleporting mutant Nightcrawler, another character returning in Doomsday after more than two decades.

Marvel’s official route stops here, despite Kelsey Grammer’s Beast first appearing in X-Men: The Last Stand and much of the older cast later reuniting in X-Men: Days Of Future Past. Those films provide additional background, but are not on Disney+’s essential list.

STEVE ROGERS AND THE AVENGERS

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Steve Rogers becomes Captain America during the Second World War and forms his relationship with Peggy Carter before being frozen for almost 70 years. Their unfinished romance becomes crucial to the ending of Endgame, while the first Doomsday teaser shows Steve apparently living with Peggy and holding a baby.

The Avengers (2012)

Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye assemble for the first time to stop Loki’s invasion of New York. It establishes the relationships at the heart of every subsequent Avengers film and reminds viewers of Downey Jr.’s history as Tony Stark before his return as the entirely separate Victor von Doom.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The Russos bring together the Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Wakandans and other MCU heroes for their failed attempt to prevent Thanos from wiping out half of all life. It also leaves Thor as one of the few surviving original Avengers and ends the story of the original Loki.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

This is the most important of the older MCU films to rewatch. Tony Stark sacrifices himself to defeat Thanos, Steve returns to the past to live with Peggy and later passes his shield to Sam Wilson, while the 2012 version of Loki escapes with the Tesseract during the Avengers’ time-travel mission.

The film returns to cinemas as Avengers: Endgame Encore from September 25, with the special presentation set to include an exclusive preview of Doomsday.

LOKI AND THE MULTIVERSE

Loki seasons one and two (2021–2023)

The sole television series on Marvel’s official list follows the Loki variant who escaped during Endgame. The first season introduces the Time Variance Authority, alternate variants and the branching multiverse, while the second leaves Tom Hiddleston’s character holding its numerous timelines together.

Loki is confirmed to appear in Doomsday, making both seasons essential preparation for understanding the scale of the threat facing the three universes.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange accidentally draw people from other universes into Earth-616, including two previous versions of Spider-Man and several of their villains.

Holland has not been included in Marvel’s announced Doomsday cast, so the film’s place on the official list should not be treated as confirmation that he will appear. It does, however, demonstrate how characters from separate Marvel film franchises can cross into the MCU.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

The film introduces incursions – catastrophic events caused when two universes collide – and establishes them as a threat to the entire multiverse. It also features Stewart as an alternate Professor Xavier, although that character is killed and is not necessarily the same version appearing in Doomsday.

Neither Doctor Strange nor Wanda Maximoff has been officially announced for the new film, but its multiversal rules are likely to be central to the collision between its three realities.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool travels through the multiverse and the TVA’s Void while attempting to save his reality from destruction, bringing several characters from pre-MCU Marvel films into the story.

It also introduces Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who is confirmed to return in Doomsday. Reynolds has been reported to appear, although Deadpool has not been included in Marvel’s officially announced cast.

THE NEW HEROES OF EARTH-616

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)

Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi takes control of his father’s Ten Rings and is recruited into the wider superhero world by Wong, Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers. The film’s post-credits scene reveals that the rings are sending an unidentified signal, a mystery that has remained unresolved.

Liu returns in Doomsday, which will mark Shang-Chi’s first film appearance since his 2021 debut.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Shuri takes on the Black Panther mantle following T’Challa’s death, while the film introduces Namor and the underwater civilisation of Talokan. Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Tenoch Huerta Mejía all return as Shuri, M’Baku and Namor respectively, alongside Mabel Cadena’s Namora and Alex Livinalli’s Attuma.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Sam Wilson leads his first solo film as Captain America, with Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres taking over his former Falcon identity. The story leaves Sam moving to rebuild the Avengers, creating a second team that will apparently exist alongside the New Avengers in Doomsday.

Thunderbolts* (2025)

Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, John Walker and the super-powered Bob are publicly rebranded as the New Avengers by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

The post-credits scene takes place more than a year later and reveals that Sam Wilson is forming a rival Avengers team. It then supplies one of the clearest Doomsday connections when an extra-dimensional spacecraft carrying the Fantastic Four’s symbol enters Earth-616.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR AND THE FINAL BRIDGE

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The film introduces Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm on the alternate Earth-828.

After the family saves its world from Galactus, the mid-credits scene jumps forward four years and shows Doom approaching the young Franklin Richards. It is the only released film to feature Downey Jr.’s version of the villain and the most direct setup for Doomsday.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Although it is not included on Disney+’s official list, Brand New Day is the final MCU film released before Doomsday. It introduces Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey as a mutant native to Earth-616 and brings Yelena into Spider-Man’s street-level story ahead of her confirmed return with the New Avengers.

Its post-credits scene shows Ned Leeds’ Spider-Man tracking system locating a version of the hero in outer space. It appears to set up a future crossover, although Holland’s involvement in Doomsday has not been confirmed.

WHAT ABOUT THE MARVELS AND VISIONQUEST?

The Marvels is a conspicuous omission from the official list. Its post-credits scene leaves Monica Rambeau trapped in an alternate reality populated by mutants and introduces Grammer’s Beast to the MCU, making it a useful addition for viewers who want every available X-Men connection. Teyonah Parris has not, however, been announced for Doomsday.

VisionQuest premieres on Disney+ on October 14, two months before Doomsday. Marvel has not announced Paul Bettany’s Vision for the film and the show is absent from the current official watchlist, so it cannot yet be considered essential viewing. That could change if the series establishes a direct link when it arrives.

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