Over 75% Of MCU Projects Are Skippable Before Avengers: Doomsday

Published Sep 5, 2026, 12:40 PM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. For as long as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going, there has been a suggestion that each release is important to the overall direction of the franchise. This is why so many rewatched all the MCU movies before Avengers: Endgame, and plenty of fans have applied the same idea in the lead-up to Avengers: Doomsday. But the idea that you need to watch everything is a lie. The complete list of Marvel Studios productions has grown substantially through the Multiverse Saga. There are no longer just movies to consider, as Disney+ shows and Special Presentations have also been added to the mix. And with some stories taking place outside the main MCU timeline and canon, it may feel difficult to know what is worth watching, especially if you fell off the MCU bandwagon after Endgame. Disney has tried to help everyone out by sharing its list of Marvel titles to watch before Doomsday. There are 15 titles listed, 13 of which are from Marvel Studios, with 12 being movies and Loki being the only show. On one hand, suggesting that audiences should watch these 15 projects before Doomsday can feel like a lot. But in doing so, Disney and Marvel have said less than 25% of the MCU is required viewing. There will be 59 MCU productions released before Avengers: Doomsday: 38 movies, 18 shows (counting VisionQuest), and 3 specials. By giving the world a list of 13 MCU titles to watch ahead of the event film, Disney has confirmed that you can skip past over 75% of Marvel Studios' productions in preparation, saving fans over 100 hours of MCU homework. Why The Majority Of MCU Movies & Shows Aren't Necessary To See Before Avengers: Doomsday There is certainly an element of Avengers: Doomsday that makes it feel like the beginning of the end of Marvel's entire movie legacy, including the MCU. One would think that more titles would be necessary to understand what's going to happen after another Kevin Feige master plan came to fruition. Not only did the plans for Doomsday shift dramatically in recent years, but the direction it took made is less reliant on the MCU's complete history. A lot of the missing titles from Disney's Doomsday watch list can be attributed to them being older entries in the universe. Those films may have had significance for building up to the Avengers fighting Thanos twice, but they don't really matter at all for this new collection of heroes taking on Doctor Doom. The last adventures for most of Doomsday's major characters are what matters more now. Similarly, a good chunk of the movies Marvel and Disney have told fans they can skip are those featuring characters who won't be in Doomsday. Solo movies for Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and the Guardians of the Galaxy are all missing, with none expected to appear in any significant way. Shows for Daredevil, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and more are also deemed unimportant because they'll sit on the sidelines. An argument could be made that even some of the titles Disney chose don't really need to be seen before Doomsday, but each of their inclusions makes sense considering the heroes involved and the time when they were released. If the goal is watching MCU titles that will make you familiar with the biggest players and storylines for the Phase 6 movie, then most of the movies and shows are indeed skippable. Avengers: Doomsday Having Less MCU Homework Is A Good Thing This does play into the critique that the MCU hasn't done a good job of having and executing a plan to get the franchise to this point. Part of the magic of the Infinity Saga was seeing how it pulled so many threads together by the end, with every title having some sense of importance to the culmination. It was a formula Marvel seemed likely to repeat, but lessening the need to see everything before Doomsday is good. It immediately alleviates concerns that someone needs to watch everything before heading to the theater on or after December 18. Doomsday becomes more accessible for audiences around the world. These projects will all help, but it's clear the film isn't expecting audiences to have seen every single MCU production. Marvel, Feige, and the Russo brothers want this to be rewarding for the overall narrative but also an entertaining blockbuster for those who can't or won't take the time to catch up on every movie or show. That's something that the Russos have even communicated during early press appearances. They described Doomsday as "phase zero" in terms of how the Phase 6 movie aims to be less reliant on the past. Joe Russo said, "This is starting over from scratch. We want to make sure everybody feels like this isn't leaning on anything from the past." Only time will tell whether they achieve this, but the approach is sound and sets the movie up to have the best chance of success. No one will need to feel the pressure to watch all 59 Marvel Studios productions. They can get by with less homework, or possibly none at all. Avengers: Doomsday Will Still Be More Rewarding With Complete Knowledge Of The MCU That said, anyone who has seen it all once or multiple times is sure to be more pleased. With all the characters involved and the converging storylines, those who have a complete knowledge of the franchise will surely get more out of Doomsday. This could include making certain arcs, character crossovers, or payoffs more rewarding. Just look at how the Russos handled Infinity War and Endgame. Moments like Steve Rogers picking up Mjolnir, Sam Wilson saying "On your left," Steve uttering "Avengers assemble," or Iron Man making the sacrifice play are enjoyable on their own. But anyone who knows the buildup to those moments will find infinitely more satisfaction. There may be fewer opportunities for moments like those in Doomsday due to several characters not having nearly as much history. However, it would be shocking if the Russos didn't work in various callbacks and references from throughout the MCU as Easter eggs for diehard fans. Avengers: Doomsday may have a phase zero approach, but it is still the second-to-last film in Phase 6. Marvel will be sure to give fans who have been along for the ride every step of the way plenty of opportunities to re-enact the Leonardo DiCaprio finger-pointing meme with connections to what's come before. 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