Marvel Stories to Revisit Before Avengers Doomsday.

Marvel’s next major crossover is drawing closer, bringing together some of the franchise’s most recognisable heroes and teams. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on 18 December 2026, with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Wakandans among the characters set to converge. Robert Downey Jr. is also returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Victor von Doom, marking a new chapter for the actor who previously played Tony Stark.

For fans who want to revisit Marvel’s history before the big-screen reunion, Disney+ has assembled its Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday collection. The 15-title playlist spans the original X-Men films, defining Avengers battles, multiverse adventures and newer superhero teams. It is a curated selection rather than a complete MCU marathon, offering a more focused way to catch up before the next chapter.

The guide below follows the reported collection lineup. It is not chronological viewing order, and inclusion does not mean every title has been confirmed as essential to the film’s plot.

The Complete Countdown Watchlist

1. X-Men

The film that introduced many viewers to Professor X, Magneto and Wolverine established a world where extraordinary abilities can make someone feared as much as admired. Beneath the superhero action, X-Men explores prejudice, identity and the tension between humans and mutants.

2. X2

The sequel deepens the conflict when an attack against mutants forces the X-Men into an uneasy alliance with Magneto. With stronger character dynamics and higher stakes, X2 offers a richer understanding of the team’s history.

3. Captain America The First Avenger

Steve Rogers’ origin story is built around courage, conviction and standing up to a powerful enemy. It provides essential context for Captain America’s values and the legacy behind his shield, making it a worthwhile revisit before another Avengers team-up.

4. The Avengers

This is where Marvel’s original superhero team comes together on screen. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye must put their differences aside to stop Loki, establishing the team dynamic that would define the franchise’s biggest crossovers.

5. Avengers Infinity War

The Avengers face their most devastating challenge as Thanos pursues the Infinity Stones. Bringing heroes from different corners of the MCU into one escalating conflict, the film changes the direction of the franchise and sets up the consequences that follow.

6. Avengers Endgame

The conclusion to the Infinity Saga delivers the emotional payoff to years of storytelling. Its sacrifices, reunions and defining final battle make it one of the most significant chapters in Marvel’s history and a natural film to revisit before the next major crossover.

7. Loki

Across two seasons, Loki explores alternate timelines, free will and the forces shaping the multiverse. It also gives the God of Mischief a more complex journey, making the series particularly rewarding for viewers interested in how Marvel’s different realities intersect.

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

Shang-Chi is pulled back into a family history he hoped to leave behind, uncovering secrets surrounding the powerful Ten Rings. The film introduces a distinctive hero while expanding the MCU beyond its familiar Avengers circle.

9. Spider-Man No Way Home

Peter Parker’s world changes when a spell brings unexpected visitors from different realities into his life. The film combines personal stakes with multiverse connections, making it one of the most memorable recent MCU adventures to revisit.

10. Black Panther Wakanda Forever

Following the death of King T’Challa, Wakanda faces new threats while navigating an uncertain future. Shuri’s journey and the introduction of Namor expand the story beyond the kingdom’s borders, adding political tension and emotional depth to the MCU.

11. Captain America Brave New World

Sam Wilson steps further into his role as Captain America and becomes caught in an international crisis. The film explores the responsibility of carrying a familiar legacy while showing how Marvel’s next generation of heroes is taking shape.

12. Deadpool and Wolverine

Deadpool’s irreverent humour meets Wolverine’s reluctance in a partnership shaped by danger, chaos and multiverse connections. The film brings characters from outside the central MCU timeline into the wider Marvel conversation, offering a very different tone from the traditional Avengers films.

13. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange ventures into dangerous alternate realities, where familiar faces and unexpected threats challenge his understanding of the multiverse. It complements Loki and Spider-Man No Way Home for viewers who want to explore the possibilities and risks of crossing between worlds.

14. Thunderbolts*

Marvel’s unconventional team brings together characters with complicated pasts, including Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes. Their uneasy alliance explores a different side of superhero life, where personal baggage and conflicting motivations are just as important as the mission.

15. The Fantastic Four First Steps

Set in a retro-futuristic world inspired by the 1960s, Marvel’s First Family faces a threat from Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm bring a different dynamic to the MCU, and their confirmed return in Doomsday makes this a particularly relevant film to revisit.

Short on Time? Start With These

Fifteen titles can feel like a commitment before one cinema release. If you want to prioritise, start with Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame for the franchise’s defining team-up story. Add Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for the multiverse, then watch The Fantastic Four First Steps to get to know Marvel’s newest major team.

If the returning mutants interest you most, begin with X-Men and X2. For a broader picture of Marvel’s newer heroes, add Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Panther Wakanda Forever and Captain America Brave New World.

This shorter route is an editorial recommendation, not a substitute for the full collection. The titles span different corners of Marvel’s universe, and their inclusion does not confirm that every storyline will be central to Doomsday.

A Companion for the Countdown

Disney+ has also introduced the Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast, hosted by Iman Vellani and Frank Alvarez. Across five episodes, the pair revisit key films from the Infinity Saga, discussing memorable moments, character journeys and the themes that have shaped Marvel’s cinematic history.

The podcast is a separate companion to the film and series playlist, rather than an additional title in the 15-item watchlist. It offers another way to revisit Marvel’s past for fans who enjoy the conversation as much as the action.

Your Countdown Starts Here

The appeal of Avengers: Doomsday lies in the prospect of seeing Marvel’s different worlds collide. Revisiting these films and series can make familiar characters and connections more rewarding, but there is no need to turn the countdown into homework. Disney has confirmed that viewers can jump into the film without watching every previous Marvel release.

Start with the stories that interest you most, discover the characters you may have missed and enjoy the journey back through Marvel’s universe. The aim is not to memorise every detail, but to appreciate the worlds behind the heroes before they meet again.

Explore the official Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday collection on Disney+