Movies to Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday — Official List & Quick Version

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in cinemas on December 18, 2026 in the US, with international releases around the same time. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, it brings back Robert Downey Jr., this time as the villain Doctor Doom, and puts the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts and even the original Fox X-Men in the same film.

That is a lot of history. The good news is that Marvel has published an official watchlist, and you do not need to watch everything. Here is the list, why each title matters and a shortcut for anyone short on time.

The official watchlist (15 titles)

Disney shared this list at the end of August 2026. It is in release order:

X-Men (2000)
X2 (2003)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Avengers (2012)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Loki (2021, series)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Thunderbolts* (2025)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Why each one matters

The X-Men films (X-Men, X2). This is the big surprise. Ian McKellen’s Magneto, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, James Marsden’s Cyclops, Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler and Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique are all confirmed for Doomsday. These are the Fox-era versions of the characters, so the first two X-Men films are the best introduction to them.

The original Avengers story (The First Avenger, The Avengers, Infinity War, Endgame). Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are back, and the story is said to pick up threads from Endgame. If you only rewatch one Marvel film, make it Endgame.

The multiverse (Loki, No Way Home, Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool & Wolverine). Doomsday brings heroes together from separate universes. Loki explains the rules of the multiverse better than anything else in the MCU. No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine show characters from other film series crossing into the MCU.

The current heroes (Shang-Chi, Wakanda Forever, Brave New World, Thunderbolts*). These introduce or update the heroes of the current era: Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, the Wakandans, and Florence Pugh’s Yelena leading the Thunderbolts. Doomsday is set about 14 months after Thunderbolts*.

The Fantastic Four (First Steps). Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm join the fight, and Doctor Doom is traditionally the Fantastic Four’s greatest enemy. First Steps is essential viewing.

Also worth knowing: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) came out in cinemas in July and is reported to take place before Doomsday. It is not on the official list, but it is the most recent chapter.

Short on time? The five-title shortcut

If you can only fit in five, watch these:

Avengers: Endgame: the emotional foundation for the returning heroes.
Loki, seasons 1 and 2: the clearest explanation of the multiverse.
Deadpool & Wolverine: the bridge between the Fox films and the MCU.
Thunderbolts*: the most recent team, and the film Doomsday follows.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps: the family that Doctor Doom is tied to.

With a little more time, add X-Men and X2 to meet the returning mutants.

How long will it take?

The full official list adds up to roughly 40 hours: about 31 hours of films plus around 10 hours for the two Loki seasons. The five-title shortcut is about 19 hours with both Loki seasons, or around 14 hours if you watch only season 1. Starting in mid-November gives you a comfortable month.

What comes after Doomsday

Doomsday is the first of two final Avengers films. Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled for December 17, 2027.

Where to watch

Most Marvel Studios films and series stream on Disney’s platform in each country; in India that is JioHotstar. The X-Men films have moved between services over the years. Each title page on Cinearium shows where a film is streaming in the region you select.