6 Disney+ MCU Episodes To Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday (Without Binging Every Show)

Published Nov 7, 2026, 9:45 PM EST Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History. Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews. With Avengers: Doomsday just around the corner, it's worth revisiting some of the most poignant episodes from the Multiverse Saga Marvel TV shows ahead of Doctor Doom's arrival. The Multiverse Saga has taken audiences on a wild ride over the last six years. Starting out with a plan to bring Kang the Conqueror as a big bad rival to face off against a new formation of Avengers, the entire landscape of the MCU has been altered to prepare for Doom's arrival. That being said, there have been some notable new entries in the TV landscape of the MCU that are worth going back to in order to set the foundation for Avengers: Doomsday. And with the time until the film arrives narrowing, it's worth cutting the watch list down to the most essential episodes and films to watch before time runs out. And wile Disney+ and Marvel Entertainment have made it clear which films are important to rewatch on the road to Doomsday, there are a handful of episodes from the TV side of things that do provide important plot beats that will no doubt play into the events of Avengers: Doomsday in meaningful ways. "So This Is Christmas?" - Hawkeye Season 1, Episode 6 Clint Barton is one of the original Avengers who still has a place in the new Multiverse Saga. While the character has exclusively shown up in the Hawkeye TV series, which saw him pass on the moniker of Hawkeye to Kate Bishop, played by the talented Hailee Steinfeld, the show also set the stage for the next Black Widow, Yelena Belova, to play a bigger part in the story moving forward. In episodes 4, 5, and 6, Florence Pugh reprises her role from the 2021 film Black Widow, and forms a tenuous connection with Kate Bishop as she seeks revenge for her sister's death against Clint Barton. However, in episode 6, Yelena finally has her encounter with Clint, and the two develop a deeper understanding of one another. This episode is a pivotal part of Yelena's story and the evolution of the character that would go on to lead The New Avengers after the events of Thunderbolts*, along with establishing Kate Bishop as a central figure moving forward. With all of that in mind, this episode should not be overlooked. "Glorious Purpose" - Loki Season 1, Episode 1 Image via MovieStillsDB Tom Hiddleston's Loki is the character with the single most fleshed out and well-developed story arc across the MCU, from his introduction as the God of Mischief in Thor, down to his sacrifice in Avengers: Infinity War. But, as revealed in Avengers: Endgame, the Loki that plays the part of antagonist in the 2012 Avengers film manages to escape when the time-traveling Avengers lose track of the Space Stone. The Loki series dives deep into what happens to this character, labeled a variant, as he comes face to face with a high-tech otherworldly agency known as the Time Variance Authority, or TVA. While the whole series stands out as the most important TV entry in the Multiverse Saga for fans to revisit to prepare for Avengers: Doomsday, it can be boiled down to the first and last episodes if time is not on your side. That being said, the first episode introduces the TVA, sets this version of Loki on a different course for his new life, and gets the ball rolling for what has proven to be one of the best MCU TV shows ever made. "Glorious Purpose" - Loki Season 2, Episode 6 Following the introduction to Loki, it's also worth checking out the series finale, which is also titled "Glorious Purpose." This episode sets the tone for the circular nature of events in Loki's life, and the broader universe of the MCU, it sets up the collapse of the multiverse, and it showcases why exactly Loki is going to be such a vital part of the narrative in Avengers: Doomsday. This episode is one that needs to be experienced to grasp the full scale of who Loki is now in the MCU, and how his story causes him to cross paths with a dangerous presence like Doctor Doom, despite the series introducing the first Kang variant and ending with another, Victor Timely. All in all, Loki is a must-watch for those wanting to experience Avengers: Doomsday and fully appreciate what is happening in the aptly titled Multiverse Saga that leads to this catastrophic sequence of events. And with the recent re-release of Avengers: Endgame in cinemas, which featured extra footage at the end, Loki's role has never been more important to the story. "The Series Finale" - WandaVision Season 1, Episode 9 Wanda Maximoff, aka The Scarlet Witch, is another major figure in the Multiverse Saga, with the character having her story and that of her family play out in a trilogy of TV shows, and her untimely sacrifice in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, it makes sense that checking out at least the finale of this limited series is a solid way to figure out where Wanda fits into the story. After taking control of an entire village full of people, Wanda confronts the truth about her life and the painful losses she has been trying to erase from her memory with a fabricated life and family. This episode sees her face off against her rival, Agatha Harkness, while also introducing a major twist regarding The Vision, and setting up Wanda's turn to the dark side. This episode makes the most context inside the Maximoff Trilogy, which consists of WandaVision, Agatha All Along and VisionQuest, but independently, it is still a brilliant story and one that has far-reaching consequences for the rest of the Multiverse Saga. "One World, One People" - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Season 1, Episode 6 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier remains one of the most underappreciated new series to come out of the MCU, but nonetheless, this show is the turning point for Sam Wilson's transformation to become Captain America. After the events of Avengers: Endgame saw Steve Rogers retire, Sam Wilson steps up in a big way in this show. On top of that, this show helps to establish that despite Sam not having the powers of Steve Rogers, he possesses his own unique gifts that make him the ideal candidate to replace Rogers for good in the MCU. That being said, there are many points of this story that are revisited in Captain America: Brave New World, but Sam's story in TFatWS is an absolutely stunning way to firmly position the character as a leader in the MCU. "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" - What If...? Season 1, Episode 4 Finally, last but certainly not least, What If...? may not be canon to the Sacred Timeline in a traditional sense, but considering the Multiverse Saga opens the door to other realities, it seems as though nothing is off the table for Avengers: Doomsday and the way that they may put variants front and center. So, in this episode specifically, the narrative explores what life could have turned out like if Christine Palmer had died instead of Stephen Strange getting into an accident where his hands were injured. The episode takes a series of dark turns, and ultimately unveils a much darker, more villainous version of Doctor Strange than audiences may be familiar with. That being said, it does open the door to the multiverse and the possibilities of numerous different realities where the familiar heroes could be very different. This, of course, connects to individuals like Victor Von Doom, who will have the same face as the Tony Stark of the Sacred Timeline, but be a very different character. The above episodes are a solid foundation to introduce characters, concepts, and important milestones from the Multiverse Saga, and while they can be enjoyed in their broader format, they can also be rewatched in preparation for Avengers: Doomsday, or watched to add a little context for those unfamiliar with the MCU TV shows that have been released to date. Release Date December 18, 2026 Runtime 165 Minutes Director Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Cast Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic Vanessa Kirby Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Writers Stephen McFeely, Michael Waldron, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers Producers Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Jonathan Schwartz Prequel(s) Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sequel(s) Avengers: Secret Wars Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Thor, X-Men