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What to watch before Avengers: Doomsday

In theaters December 18, 2026

Doomsday brings the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, Wakanda and the original Fox X-Men together against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. You don't need all 100+ Marvel titles first. These are the ones that set it up, in the order to watch them.

6 essential titles, about 19 hours

Essential

Watch these if you only have time for a few.

  1. Avengers: Endgame2019 · Film · 3h 1mWhere the original Avengers story ends, and why there's no team left when Doomsday starts.
  2. Loki S12021 · Series · 5hOpens up the multiverse that the whole current saga is built on.
  3. Loki S22023 · Series · 5hFinishes Loki's story and sets up how the timelines hold together.
  4. Captain America: Brave New World2025 · Film · 1h 58mSam Wilson as the new Captain America, trying to put a team back together.
  5. Thunderbolts*2025 · Film · 2h 7mYelena's misfit team, who end the film with a new name you'll see again in Doomsday.
  6. The Fantastic Four: First Steps2025 · Film · 1h 55mMarvel's First Family, from their own universe. They're a big part of Doomsday.

Recommended

These fill in characters who are back for Doomsday.

  1. Avengers: Infinity War2018 · Film · 2h 29mThe last time the whole MCU came together against one villain.
  2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier2021 · Series · 5hHow Sam takes up the shield, with Bucky beside him.
  3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings2021 · Film · 2h 12mShang-Chi (Simu Liu) is in the Doomsday cast.
  4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever2022 · Film · 2h 41mShuri becomes Black Panther, and Namor (Tenoch Huerta) arrives.
  5. Ant-Man2015 · Film · 1h 57mMeet Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who's back for Doomsday.
  6. Deadpool & Wolverine2024 · FilmThe film that pulls the old Fox universe into the MCU. Watch it whole.

For the X-Men

Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden and Alan Cumming return as their original X-Men.

  1. X-Men2000 · Film · 1h 44mProfessor X, Magneto, Cyclops and Mystique, as these actors first played them.
  2. X2: X-Men United2003 · Film · 2h 14mAdds Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler.
  3. X-Men: Days of Future Past2014 · FilmBrings the original cast back together and ties both X-Men timelines.

Then

  1. Avengers: Doomsday2026 · FilmIn theaters December 18, 2026
See the full Marvel watch orderRelease Radar

Questions

When does Avengers: Doomsday come out?

Avengers: Doomsday comes out in theaters on December 18, 2026.

Who is the villain in Avengers: Doomsday?

Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark for over a decade.

Do I need to watch every Marvel movie before Doomsday?

No. The six essential titles above cover what the film builds on: Endgame, both seasons of Loki, Brave New World, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Do I need to watch the old X-Men movies?

It helps. Several of the original Fox X-Men actors return, so X-Men (2000), X2 and Days of Future Past show who they are and where they left off.

What comes after Avengers: Doomsday?

Avengers: Secret Wars, the end of the Multiverse Saga, is due in December 2027.