Longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have nothing to worry about as they wait for Avengers: Doomsday's premiere, but new fans do.
Here's a recommended pre-requisite watchlist before the next looming Avengers film comes out on the big screens.
The Recommended List to Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday Drops in Theaters
Avengers: Doomsday is going to be Marvel's biggest release since Avengers: Endgame, and it's quite normal, especially for new fans, to wonder what movies and shows they should be watching before the next film premieres. Every film and show in the MCU, after all, is connected, one way or another.
Let's consider one of the most glaring facts yet: Doomsday has a massive crossover as it brings back MCU favorites like Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Anthony Mackie (Falcon/Captain America), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Florence Pugh (Yelena), and Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier).
Apart from the glorious returns, Doomsday also has additions from Fantastic Four and X-Men, including Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), and Patrick Stewart (Professor X), alongside Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel).
Now, based on the Avengers: Doomsday cast, here's what both fans and Marvel recommend on what to prioritize on your binge-watching list:
- X-Men
- X-Men 2
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- Captain America franchise
- The Avengers franchise (especially Infinity War and Endgame)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Loki seasons 1 & 2
- The Marvels
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- Thunderbolts*
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
If you'll notice, there are only a few origin stories included on the watchlist, and for good reason!
Doomsday is going to bring tons of crossovers to the table, meaning that the highly anticipated film will likely spotlight dynamics and the Multiverse over each hero's stories. And if the list doesn't feel right, the Iron Man, Thor, and other MCU flicks and series are all available to stream on Disney+ anyway, if you'd prefer.
How Long Will It Take for Fans to Watch Everything on the List?
In case you were wondering, would fans really have the time to watch all of these films and shows before Doomsday drops? Well, you can add that to your bucket list, for one, because 2026 has a whole year in store for you before Doomsday actually releases on the big screens.
But to be more specific, watching all of these would take around 35-40 hours, roughly over 2100 minutes. This already includes the standard theatrical runtimes for the movies and the 600 minutes for TV. Exact times may vary depending on the watchers' schedule and end-credit sequences.
If planning a marathon, it's an estimated span of 5-6 days with breaks, assuming you're buckling up for a 6-8 hour daily binge-watch.
Again, you don't have to watch all of these to enjoy Doomsday, but as many fans can agree, any MCU viewer requires context on why these characters are relevant to the stories and how their arcs connect to the buildup that is the Multiverse and the revelation behind coming up against Doctor Doom.
Meanwhile, fans still have more time before Avengers: Doomsday drops on December 18, 2026.
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