15 TV Shows & Movies To Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday

With Avengers: Doomsday bringing together characters from different parts of Marvel’s screen history, it may be a good time to revisit some relevant stories. There is no need to watch every Marvel movie or TV show again from the beginning. A few key projects can help viewers remember where major heroes and teams currently stand. They can also make the bigger connections easier to follow when the new crossover arrives.

Disney describes the story as a collision between characters from three distinct universes facing an existential threat. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, with Anthony and Joe Russo directing and Stephen McFeely writing. That makes it one of Marvel’s biggest crossover stories in years.

Not every previous Marvel project will directly lead into Doomsday, and that is why choosing what to revisit can be helpful. Some stories matter because of confirmed returning characters, while others explain useful teams, relationships, or ideas such as the multiverse. Together, these projects provide useful background without requiring a complete MCU marathon. They offer an effective way to reconnect with the characters and events that may matter most before the next Avengers story.

1. Avengers: Endgame

Five years after Thanos wipes out half of all life with the Snap, the world has changed dramatically. The surviving Avengers have gone their separate ways, with Tony Stark leaving superhero life behind, Steve Rogers helping people deal with the aftermath, and Thor struggling with his own losses. When Scott Lang returns with an idea involving the Quantum Realm, the group sees a chance to undo what happened and bring everyone back. For the first time in years, the Avengers have a reason to come together again.

Their plan takes them back to significant moments from their past as they search for the Infinity Stones. The mission gives them another chance to fight alongside each other, but it also forces them to make painful choices. Natasha Romanoff dies, Tony Stark gives his life to defeat Thanos, and Steve Rogers eventually leaves his life as Captain America behind. They save the world, but the victory costs them the people who helped build the Avengers in the first place.

By the end of Avengers: Endgame, the world is ready for a new chapter. The original Avengers are no longer together, and the heroes who once led the team have either died or moved on. Since then, new heroes and teams have appeared across the MCU. That makes Endgame a useful reminder of where the old Avengers story ended before a new generation faces its own challenges.

2. Loki

Tom Hiddleston’s return makes Loki one of the most anticipated shows to revisit before the upcoming Avengers film. The series also provides essential background on timelines, variants, and various versions of the same character existing across separate realities. With Doomsday bringing characters from various worlds into the same story, Loki’s story offers an easy way to understand how the MCU’s multiverse became such a valuable part of its larger universe.

The sci-fi show follows a different version of Loki from the one audiences knew from the earlier Thor and Avengers movies. During the events of Avengers: Endgame, the 2012 Loki escapes with the Tesseract. This creates a new path for himself. He is soon captured by the Time Variance Authority, or TVA, and enters a world where timelines can branch and events can unfold in completely new ways.

The TVA expands the MCU’s world beyond a single timeline. Loki learns that other versions of the same person, known as variants, can exist across multiple realities. Some of the most memorable parts of the series come from him meeting versions of himself and seeing how small changes could have sent his life in completely new directions.

However, Loki is not just a story about explaining how the multiverse works. His relationship with Mobius and his experiences inside the TVA force him to confront his past and question the person he has become. As the series progresses, he changes from someone mainly focused on his own survival into someone willing to take responsibility for something much larger than himself.

By the later stages of the story, Loki’s problems are no longer personal. Entire timelines are at risk, and his decisions could affect countless lives and realities. That combination of multiverse world-building and character growth is what makes Loki especially valuable for the MCU’s next phase.

3. Captain America: Brave New World

Being Captain America brings a lot of pressure for Sam Wilson. He must decide what kind of leader he wants to become. At the same time, he carries the legacy Steve Rogers left behind. Sam must earn the public’s trust while defining what Captain America means to him.

Sam is the new Captain America, but he is not trying to copy Steve Rogers. He carries the same shield, but he approaches the role in his own way. Unlike Steve, Sam does not have super-soldier abilities, so he depends on his training, experience, and judgment.

Sam faces more challenges when he gets caught in a political crisis involving governments and powerful figures with different goals. Many of the problems he faces do not have easy answers, and winning a fight is not always enough. Captain America: Brave New World shows Sam learning to lead while dealing with a world that has shifted around him.

4. Thunderbolts

That lack of trust makes sense when you look at what each person has been through. Everyone carries something from the past, whether it is guilt, loss, manipulation, or mistakes they wish they could forget. Even when the group wants the same outcome, they often have different ideas about how to get there.

The Thunderbolts bring together people who would not normally choose to work as a team. Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the others come from very different backgrounds. Some have worked for governments, while others have spent years handling dangerous missions and difficult choices. Being on the same side does not mean they automatically trust one another.

The real challenge is learning how to depend on each other. The Thunderbolts are made up of people with complicated histories who slowly realize they cannot handle every problem alone. Their relationships make their story essential before Avengers: Doomsday, as the trust they build follows what they can bring when they stand alongside other heroes.

Unlike teams built on friendship or shared history, the Thunderbolts must build their connection from scratch. Each member brings a different personality, skill set, and set of personal issues to the group. Trust does not come easily as their conflicting personalities create tension. They eventually learn to depend on each other when the situation demands it.

5. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The final confrontation forces Sue to make the ultimate sacrifice. She uses her force fields to help push Galactus through a portal, but the effort kills her. Franklin then uses his reality-altering power to bring his mother back to life, revealing just how extraordinary his abilities are. With Sue restored and Galactus defeated, the Fantastic Four survive the battle, while Franklin’s powers establish him as a potentially major force in the Marvel Universe.

Four years after Galactus is defeated, the mid-credits scene shows Sue reading to Franklin when she briefly leaves the room. She returns to find a mysterious figure in a green cloak sitting beside Franklin and holding a Doctor Doom mask, revealing that Victor von Doom has entered the family’s orbit. The scene connects directly to Avengers: Doomsday by introducing Doom as the next major threat and showing that his story is now tied to the Fantastic Four.

6. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness turns the idea of alternate realities into the heart of Stephen Strange’s next crisis. His path crosses with America Chavez, a young hero whose rare ability allows her to tear open portals between universes. That power makes her the target of a dangerous magical pursuit that pulls Strange into a conflict far beyond his own reality.

As Strange travels through different worlds, he learns that moving between universes is not as simple as opening a portal and coming back home. He sees familiar characters in unexpected ways and discovers that actions in one universe can have serious consequences for another. The movie also introduces the idea of an incursion, a dangerous event that can happen when different universes interfere with each other.

The plot also becomes deeply personal for Wanda Maximoff. After losing so much, she becomes desperate to be with the children she believes she can find in another universe. Her choices make the situation even more dangerous and show how personal loss can affect an entire world.

It also introduces ideas that could matter as the MCU moves toward Avengers: Doomsday. Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom have a long history in Marvel stories, especially because of their connection to magic and their complicated rivalry. Marvel has not revealed how their relationship will work on screen, but Strange’s story gives useful context before Doctor Doom joins the larger conflict.

7. Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool and Wolverine could not be more different. Wade Wilson talks his way through almost every situation, while Wolverine is serious, angry, and carries the pain of everything he has lost. Putting them together creates plenty of funny moments, but their opposite personalities also make their relationship one of the movie’s strongest parts.

Deadpool & Wolverine also brings together different parts of Marvel’s movie history. Characters and stories that once belonged to separate franchises can now exist within the larger multiverse. This makes the movie a fun example of how characters from very different worlds and screen histories can eventually become part of the same story.

Then there is the strange moment involving Thor. Deadpool sees a TVA image of Thor crying while holding him, but the movie never explains why Thor is so upset. For now, it remains a funny mystery that could be setting up something for the future or be another one of Deadpool’s strange Marvel moments.

8. The Avengers

Before the Avengers faced threats from the multiverse and different worlds, they had a much simpler problem. Loki was attacking Earth, and no single hero could stop him alone. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye were brought together, but they did not immediately work as a team because they had different personalities, goals, and plenty of reasons to disagree.

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers often clashed, Bruce Banner struggled to control the Hulk, and Thor was dealing with his own problems involving Loki. Putting these powerful heroes in the same room created more arguments than teamwork. Before they could stop the invasion, they first had to learn how to trust one another.

The Battle of New York changes everything. When the Chitauri attack, the heroes finally put aside their differences and begin fighting together. Their different abilities start working as one, and that is the moment the Avengers are truly ready to call themselves a team.

9. Captain America: Civil War

The biggest problem in the movie is not an alien invasion or a powerful villain. It is a disagreement between the Avengers themselves. After years of destruction caused during superhero battles, governments want more control over heroes and their actions.

Tony Stark believes the Avengers need rules and oversight because their actions can have serious consequences. Steve Rogers sees things differently and worries that governments could stop heroes from helping when people are in danger. Neither of them thinks they are the bad guy, which makes the disagreement more personal and difficult to solve.

Things get more complicated when Bucky Barnes gets involved. His connection to Steve and the secrets from his past create tension between old friends. The disagreement grows serious enough to divide the Avengers into two sides. They eventually turn against each other in a major fight.

The airport battle is one of the movie’s biggest moments, but the real impact comes afterward. Friendships are damaged, trust is broken, and the team never returns to being as united as before. The story highlights that bringing powerful heroes together does not always mean they will agree.

10. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

After the death of King T’Challa, Wakanda has to find a way to move forward without its king and protector, and the royal family is deeply affected by his loss. By the end of the story, Wakanda has changed in useful ways, with Shuri taking on a bigger role and the nation facing new relationships and challenges beyond its borders. With characters from Wakanda and Talokan connected to Avengers: Doomsday, the movie helps show how much has changed for this part of the MCU.

Much of the story follows Shuri as she deals with losing her brother. Known for her intelligence and talent with technology, she now has to face grief, anger, and responsibilities she never expected. Everything that happens pushes Shuri to grow and decide who she wants to be.

Wakanda’s situation turns even more complicated when it encounters Talokan, another powerful hidden civilization led by Namor. The two nations have their own histories and their own reasons for protecting their people. Their conflict highlights that Wakanda is no longer the only hidden world with extraordinary power.

11. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi is not trying to turn into a superhero when his story begins. He has left his old life behind and wants to stay away from his powerful father, Xu Wenwu, and the Ten Rings organization. But when his past catches up with him, Shang-Chi has no choice but to return and face the family he tried to leave behind.

Shang-Chi has a difficult relationship with his father, Wenwu. Wenwu is powerful and feared, but his grief and personal loss shape many of his decisions. Shang-Chi must confront his past and understand how it has influenced his life. He also has to decide who he wants to turn to and whether he can choose a different path from his father.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings eventually opens up into a much bigger world filled with ancient legends, powerful creatures, and hidden places. The Ten Rings themselves become one of the movie’s biggest mysteries because their true origin and purpose are still not fully explained. That leaves Shang-Chi’s story connected to something much larger than the life he originally wanted to escape.

12. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The Quantum Realm is one of the strangest places in the MCU. It played an essential role in Avengers: Endgame, helping the Avengers find a way to travel through time. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania returns to this unusual world and leaves the impression that there is much more to it than anyone first realized.

Scott Lang is trying to enjoy a quieter life after helping save the world, but his family soon gets pulled into another adventure. Scott, Hope, Cassie, Hank, and Janet end up inside the Quantum Realm, where they encounter new people, strange technology, and dangers they never expected.

The adventure also gives Cassie a bigger role. She is no longer just watching Scott’s superhero life from the outside and begins finding her own place in this world. The story also explores how Scott’s family works together when they are thrown into a situation far beyond anything they understand.

With Paul Rudd and Kathryn Newton connected to Avengers: Doomsday, the movie brings Scott and Cassie Lang back into the larger Marvel story. Their relationship remains an important part of Scott’s life as he continues his life as Ant-Man. Cassie has also stepped into the superhero world as Stature. Their experiences in the Quantum Realm have changed both of them since the earlier Ant-Man movies.

13. Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War

Thor’s story changes dramatically across Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. In Ragnarok, he has to figure out who he is without relying on the things that once defined him. When Hela threatens Asgard, Thor is forced to grow, take responsibility, and become a different kind of leader.

But that growth comes with a high cost. Thor loses his home and several people close to him, while the surviving Asgardians are forced to leave behind the life they once knew. Instead of returning to normal, Thor has to keep moving forward with everything he has lost.

Then Avengers: Infinity War pushes Thor even further. After Thanos takes away more people he cares about, Thor is filled with grief and anger. His search for Stormbreaker and arrival in Wakanda show his growing strength. However, even his power is not enough to stop Thanos or prevent the Snap.

14. X-Men: Days of Future Past

The future in X-Men: Days of Future Past is a disaster. Mutants are being hunted by powerful machines called Sentinels, and the surviving X-Men are close to losing everything. With no easy way to win, they come up with a risky plan that could change the past and save the future.

Wolverine is sent back in time to stop the event that leads to this terrible future. He has to work with younger versions of familiar X-Men characters and convince them that their choices can change what happens next. The mission turns into a race against time, with the future depending on whether they can make the right decisions.

One of the most interesting parts of the movie is how it brings different generations of X-Men characters into the same story. Older and younger versions of familiar characters are connected through time, giving the movie a unique crossover feeling. It also highlights the long screen history of the X-Men and the different eras these characters have been part of.

15. Spider-Man: No Way Home

Peter Parker starts Spider-Man: No Way Home with a problem that everyone knows he is Spider-Man. He asks Doctor Strange for help, hoping a spell can make people forget his secret identity. But things go wrong, and the spell opens the door to people from other Spider-Man worlds.

The spell brings characters from earlier Spider-Man movies into Peter’s world. The story brings together heroes and villains with very different histories, showing what can happen when separate worlds suddenly collide. Each character brings their own past and unfinished problems, making the crossover feel like more than just a series of surprise appearances.

But at the center of everything is Peter. As his situation gets worse, he has to make difficult choices and take responsibility for problems he never expected to face. By the end, he loses a great deal while trying to put things right, showing that even a huge multiverse story can still come down to one person’s difficult choices.