What to watch before Avengers: Doomsday

After years of buildup, Marvel Studios has finally released the first official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. This movie will see the old and new Avengers meet the Fantastic Four and the X-Men as they face a terrifying threat in the form of Doctor Doom, who is ready to turn the MCU upside down.

Since so many different characters from several Marvel movies and TV shows will appear in this film, there is a lot fans may need to understand in order to fully enjoy this superhero crossover event. So far, the MCU has released 37 movies and over 20 TV shows, with many of them taking place in the Multiverse Saga. Fortunately, since Marvel is owned by Disney, all the movies and shows you need to see to prepare for this film are all together on Disney+.

Here's what you should watch before seeing Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The finale of the Infinity Saga

Avengers: Endgame didn't just wrap up the Infinity Saga; it set the stage for an entirely new one. The story shows the Avengers traveling back in time to try and undo the damage Thanos did when he wiped out half of all life in the universe. It's an emotional and bombastic epic that set a high bar for the MCU going forward.

The heroes defeat Thanos, but their journey through time inadvertently creates the Multiverse, which will be a key part of Avengers: Doomsday. Even though Captain America got a "happy ending" in this movie, Doomsday has shown that he will be forced to fight against evil at least one more time.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Introducing the new Captain America

Following Steve Rogers' retirement in Avengers: Endgame, this miniseries follows Sam Wilson as he struggles to live up to the mantle of Captain America. All this happens as he and Bucky Barnes try to stop a group of superpowered terrorists, who force them to seek the aid of their old enemy, Helmut Zemo.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn't just depict Sam becoming the new Captain America. The show also introduces the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres, as well as Sam's rival, John Walker, both of whom will return alongside him in Avengers: Doomsday.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

A new hero emerges

This movie introduced one of the Avengers’ newest members: Shang-Chi. The son of the one true Mandarin, Shang-Chi is forced to come out of hiding and confront his past when his father pursues him. It's a thrilling origin story for one of Marvel's most unique superheroes, using martial arts and magic to deliver a dazzling, distinctive blockbuster.

Shang-Chi will make his long-awaited return in Avengers: Doomsday five years after his theatrical debut. To prepare for his blockbuster comeback, fans will want to familiarize themselves with the character and how he gained his mystical Ten Rings.

Loki (2021-2023)

The Multiverse is born

This 12-episode series introduced the Multiverse after Avengers: Endgame. After the variant of Loki escaped with the Tesseract during the Avengers’ Time Heist, he ends up at the Time Variance Authority, where he uncovers a vast conspiracy designed to control all of time itself. The show explains how the Multiverse and time travel really work after Endgame raised some head-scratching questions.

It also sends a new version of Loki on an emotional journey from one of the MCU’s biggest villains to becoming one of its greatest protectors. It all ends with Loki taking over the TVA and becoming the god holding the Multiverse together. He may have averted the threat of Kang the Conqueror, who was originally set up to be the main villain of the Multiverse Saga. However, Loki's return in Doomsday suggests he will play a major part in the MCU’s future.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The MCU's first Multiversal crossover

This movie saw Peter Parker's world shattered in more ways than one. Not only is his identity as Spider-Man revealed to the world, but he accidentally unleashes a spell that summons his greatest adversaries from across the Multiverse.

Spider-Man: No Way Home showed us what the Multiverse could truly bring to theaters. It brought back iconic villains from non-MCU Spider-Man movies. It also had Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as Spider-Man. It's unclear whether any Spider-Men will appear in Avengers: Doomsday. However, given how secretive Marvel has been about its films, it would be wise to watch No Way Home just in case.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

The Multiverse gets way out of hand

Directed by Spider-Man filmmaker Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shows the titular sorcerer trying to protect America Chavez, an interdimensional traveler, from the Scarlet Witch. Throughout their journey, they end up in different universes filled with all sorts of wonders and horrors, including variants of Doctor Strange himself.

Following Spider-Man: No Way Home, this Doctor Strange movie featured even more Multiversal cameos that brought back Black Bolt and even Professor X. This movie also introduced the concept of Incursions destroying universes. Since it looks like Avengers: Doomsday will show the heroes trying to save the Multiverse from this sort of disaster, this Doctor Strange movie gives us a terrifying idea of what's coming.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

A tale of two Thors

In his fourth solo movie, Thor races to prevent the vengeful Gorr the God Butcher from wiping out all gods in the universe. This time, he reunites with his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who becomes a superhero after reforging the hammer Mjolnir.

Love and Thunder isn't Thor's best film, as it leans too heavily on him being the goofball seen in Thor: Ragnarok. Nevertheless, it gives Thor and Jane one last adventure that is both entertaining and heartbreaking. It also features Thor becoming the unexpected father to Love, who will factor into the hero's story in Avengers: Doomsday.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

The Black Panther lives

Due to the sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, this Black Panther sequel saw reality merge with fiction in the most heartbreaking way. Taking place after the sudden death of King T’Challa, the film shows Shuri fighting to protect her kingdom as the Talokan King Namor threatens to wage war, all while she copes with her unresolved grief.

Avengers: Doomsday will feature the return of the Wakandans and the Talokans, including Shuri and Namor. Fans will want to refresh themselves on how both civilizations met and forged an uneasy peace before their next film arrives in theaters.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Kang the Conqueror's official debut

The third Ant-Man film was released back when Kang the Conqueror was supposed to be the main villain of the Multiverse Saga. The movie sees Scott Lang and his family getting sucked into the Quantum Realm by Kang, who tries to escape and resume his interdimensional conquest.

Since Scott will join the Avengers in the fight against Doctor Doom, his next adventure could tie into his journey through the Quantum Realm. While Doom has taken Kang's place as the MCU's new big bad, Quantumania set up a lot of future battles with Kang's variants that Doomsday will need to address.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Deadpool enters the MCU

After failing to join the Avengers in the MCU, Deadpool is given the chance to prove he is a hero when the TVA comes knocking at his door. However, he goes on the run with a variant of Wolverine when they uncover a plot to destroy his universe.

This cosmic comedy brought together several characters from Marvel's non-MCU movies to prove their worth. It also gave fans the Deadpool and Wolverine team-up that Fox failed to deliver years ago. Though neither character has been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, the film implies that Deadpool will play an important role in the battle to come, so it should be considered essential viewing.