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MCU Phase 4 & 5 Watch List Before Avengers Doomsday

No one asked for this and I don't think anyone particularly cares, but I am unfortunately still an MCU fan and I'm planning my own rewatch before Avengers Doomsday and figured I'd share with anyone who wants it. Considering there will be 36 MCU projects released post-Endgame (fucking hell man) by the time Doomsday comes out, I figured this list would help out anyone who didn't keep up with the MCU after Avengers Endgame but still wants to see Avengers Doomsday without being terribly confused.

This is a list of movies and TV shows that I think will be important to watch before Avengers Doomsday** based on trailers, teasers, promos, things said by the cast and crew, and my own knowledge of the Secret Wars comic book series. I narrowed it down to 13, and some of them you can you can still technically skip if you only care about plot points and not character backstory/character growth. I've placed an asterisk next to those movies. There's also an honorable mentions at the bottom.

WandaVision

Not technically required viewing, however it HEAVILY sets up the entire main plot of Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, which is required viewing.

For any comic nerds out there, it has some references and Easter Eggs that led me to figure out they were adapting Avengers Secret Wars long before they ever announced it, which could be fun to find.

*Falcon and the Winter Solider

NEW SUPERHERO ALERT

Character development project. Ironically, I think more important and better viewing than Captain America: Brave New World.

If you want to see Sam Wilson's and Bucky Barnes' character development after Avengers Endgame and how Sam comes to grips with being Captain America, while Bucky learns how to carry and cope with the guilt and trauma he experienced because of The Winter Soldier.

Introduces John Walker (a member of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers) and shows his character progression from being an insecure military chud to insecure potential superhero who is learning what is means to really be a hero. He's also funny.

Loki Season 1 & 2

Arguably one of the most important post-Endgame projects to watch going into Avengers Doomsday.

This show is canonically the reason why the multiverse is suddenly becoming a problem and why multiversal rifts and hopping universes are now possible when they weren't before in the MCU.

Introduces The TVA and The Void, both of which are concepts that will become important to later movies as well as to the build up of Avengers Doomsday. They will also be heavily featured in both Avengers Doomsday and Avengers Secret War.

Also IMO the best MCU show Disney+ has made so there's that. Also the highest rated, I believe.

*Black Widow

NEW SUPERHERO ALERT

Character introduction/development project. It introduces two of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers - Yelena Belova and Red Guardian. Nothing really relevant for plot devices related to Doomsday.

They both have amazing character arcs through the rest of the MCU and I do love them both dearly. Very important if you care about learning who the New Avengers are.

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

NEW SUPERHERO ALERT

Character introduction for a brand spanking new Avenger (ironically, not a member of The New Avengers).

Shang Chi will be joining the Avengers in Avengers Doomsday, so if you want to learn about him, where he came from, and what he can do, watch this (also it's just a great movie).

*Hawkeye

Character development project, not plot relevant to Avengers Doomsday.

BUT, if you care about Yelena Belova and want to see her continued character development before Thunderbolts, this is a very important watch.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

WOOF y'all, sorry about this one in advance.

Important to understand multiverse nonsense in the MCU, as well as introduces the concept of Incursions which are very important to Avengers Doomsday and Avengers Secret Wars, and why they are bad.

Unfortunately required viewing. It's not... terrible, but it definitely has trouble deciding what kind of movie it wants to be and it doesn't mesh well all the time.

*Thor: Love and Thunder

Also sorry about this one. Honestly, not necessary to watch as I'm 100% confident the Thor we encounter in Avengers Doomsday will be completely different from the Thor in this movie. But, if you're a completionist--

TLDR: Thor fought a guy named Gorr the God Butcher and after that guy sacrificed himself to bring his dead daughter back to life, Thor adopted said daughter and named her Love and is now her father.

I have this on the list purely because I think Love herself will be relevant to Avengers Doomsday based on promos. (Played by Chris Hemsworth's actual daughter, which is nice.)

*Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

NEW SUPERHERO ALERT

Shows what happens with the Black Panther character and Wakanda in-universe after the death of Chadwick Boseman.

Character growth for Shuri.

Introduces Namor the Sub-Mariner. He is the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan (fun fact: he's a mutant). He will be joining the Avengers in Avengers Doomsday.

*The Marvels (?)

This one I'm not sure about tbh. No one in this movie is slotted to be in Avengers Doomsday, but there is a character who unintentionally is sent to a different universe, so some of the quantum entanglement stuff might become important plot devices to universe hopping.

I will update on this one after I watch it again.

Deadpool & Wolverine

NEW SUPERHERO ALERT

This one explains more multiverse stuff and what could make a universe destroy itself.

Introduces the concept of "anchor beings" which I think will be important for both Avengers Doomsday and Avengers Secret Wars purely because of how weird Kevin Feige was about it during the movie's press tour.

ALSO shows more of The Void from Loki, how it works and how it's utilized by those who are trapped there. This is one of the settings confirmed to be in Avengers Doomsday and I'm fairly certain it will be the main setting of Avengers Secret Wars.

Also introduces Gambit, an X-Men member who has been trying to get a movie since 2007 but was never actually utilized until 2024. He is confirmed to be in Avengers Doomsday.

Thunderbolts

NEW.... AVENGERS ALERT??

Introduces the Thunderbolts AKA The New Avengers. They will be one of the main superhero teams in Avengers Doomsday and therefore this movie is required to know who tf those guys even are. Even if you don't watch the previously recommended Thunderbolt-adjacent things, you should watch this.

The after credits scene for this movie I believe takes place right at the start of Avengers Doomsday.

Also the whole movie is beautiful and a fantastic metaphor for grief, depression, and suicidal thoughts which is actually really compelling for a Marvel movie.

The Fantastic Four

NEW SUPERHERO(ES) ALERT

Introduces the MCU's Fantastic Four as well as Doctor Doom.

First canonical appearance of Doctor Doom which is the catalyst for the events in Avengers Doomsday, I believe.

It's been confirmed by Marvel Studios and Pedro Pascal that Mr. Fantastic and Doctor Doom have a history in this universe.

First MCU movie to take place entirely in a never before seen new universe separate from the main MCU continuity.

If you know what the term "Incursion" means in Marvel, this universe is one that will be involved in that, along with the MCU main universe, and the X-Men universe.

Honorable Mentions - I don't think these will be NECESSARY to understand what's going on, but they are still good and might help you to understand who's who from the X-Men universe if you have 0 knowledge of it, as well as give more context as to some multiverse shenanigans that have been happening in the MCU.

X- Men

It is a 26 year old movie, but it's the first X-Men movie in that universe, so it would be a good introduction to the world and some of the characters who will appear in Avengers Doomsday. X-2 and X-Men Last Stand are interesting movies, but not necessary to see if you just want to know who is who. These are the actors who will be X-Men in Doomsday.

Logan

It gives some exposition for Deadpool & Wolverine, but not necessary to understand the plot. It does introduce the character Laura who appears in DP&W, but I don't think she'll be in Avengers Doomsday.

While not necessary for Doomsday, I do think this movie is necessary viewing for movie fans everywhere. It has great writing, great acting, a great story, and you don't need to know the X-Men stuff to be impacted by it.

Also the first live action superhero movie to nominated for an Oscar in the writing category, so. Make of that what you will.

Spider-Man No Way Home

The events of this movie will not be important for Avengers Doomsday, but I imagine they will be (as well as Spider-Man Brand New Day) for Avengers Secret Wars.

That being said, it's still got some multiverse stuff that's fun to see and gives some context for how the multiverse works and breaks in the MCU, which will be a part of Avengers Doomsday.

Ant Man and The Wasp

NEW SUPERHERO ALERT (kinda)

So, yes, this movie came out before Avengers Endgame. I recommend this movie purely for character introduction to Ghost, who is a member of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers. If you don't really care about her backstory you can just skip this movie entirely.

Spider-Man Brand New Day (TBD)

No clue if this is important since it's not out for three more days. Once I've seen it I will update.

That being said, Tom Holland was not in any official cast announcements and he was filming both this movie AND The Odyssey while Avengers Doomsday was being filmed, so I think it's safe to say he's not in it.

Might have other relevant stuff in it though. TBD.

**Authors Note Okay, look. I know Ant-Man and Cassie will be in Avengers Doomsday. I know this, and I don't care. You DO NOT NEED to watch Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania. That movie was 1) terrible and 2) setting up a completely different villain and completely different course trajectory for the Avengers that then got completely thrown out when that actor went to jail. It's a moot movie now. Honestly, I think Kang the Conqueror is a much more compelling and interesting villain if you ONLY watch Loki season 1 & 2. Plus, you can treat him as a villain that is contained to only that show. Open and shut character arc there. All you need to know from Quantumania is that Cassie (Scott's daughter) is a superhero now. Not much has changed for Ant-Man. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this movie to anyone. Sorry to any Quantumania fans out there. Xolum was the best character in it anyway.

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