The Only MCU Show You Need To Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday Has Aged Like Fine Wine

Published Aug 28, 2026, 6:45 PM EDT Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. With the release date for Avengers: Doomsday fast approaching, Marvel has shared the list of movies and TV shows to watch before this huge crossover event, and the only obligated TV show has aged wonderfully. Despite some failures both on TV and the big screen, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, and its Multiverse Saga is nearing its end with two massive crossover events: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Of course, there’s some catching up to do before these movies. As the biggest connected superhero universe in recent years, the MCU has grown a lot in almost two decades, now covering not only movies but also TV shows. In the latter branch, the MCU started strong with WandaVision, and its mission was to connect the shows to the movies. Unfortunately, most of the MCU’s TV shows have failed, prompting Marvel to change its approach – however, during Phase Four, the MCU brought its best and most important TV show thanks to Loki. Created by Michael Waldron, Loki reunited viewers with the God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston), though his variant who escaped during the Time Heist in Avengers: Endgame. Loki ran for two seasons, both of them critically acclaimed and praised for their story, performances, tone, character development, and connections to the rest of the MCU. As such, Loki is the one TV show that is a must-watch to better prepare for Avengers: Doomsday. Loki Is The Most Important MCU TV Show To Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday Loki catches up with the version of the character who escaped with the Tesseract during the Time Heist, thus creating a new branch in the Sacred Timeline. Because of this, Loki is captured by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization that oversees the Sacred Timeline and makes sure that no branches and variants are created – and this Loki is a variant. Loki is given a choice: he will be erased from existence, as variants shouldn’t exist, or he can help the TVA fix the timeline and stop a major catastrophe. Of course, Loki chooses the latter and goes on a mission with TVA Agent Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) to fix the mess. This leads Loki to make some shocking discoveries about the Sacred Timeline, variants, and the TVA, especially when he finally meets its creator, who turns out to be a variant of Kang (Jonathan Majors). Loki season 2 continues the God of Mischief’s efforts to save the timeline, leading him to make a decision that changes his life, future, and legacy. Now, even though Loki was key to establishing the threat of Kang and his many variants, as the original plan was for the next Avengers movie to be The Kang Dynasty, the show is still the most important one in the Multiverse Saga and thus key to understanding Doomsday. Loki explained the Sacred Timeline, how branches are created, the multiverse, what variants are, and more, and these are some of the most important elements to learn before Doomsday. The next Avengers movie will address the multiverse, variants, and more, so while the rest of Marvel’s suggested movies and shows are also worth revisiting, Loki is the only one that is a must-watch. Why Loki TV Show Has Aged So Well (Despite The MCU’s Change Of Plans) MovieStillsDB Loki is a lot more than an expansion of the MCU and a link to the multiverse. The show finally gave Loki the development and growth he needed and deserved, especially after his death at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. Loki gave the character a purpose after years of being an antagonist and secondary character in every adventure of Thor. Thematically, Loki is also the most important TV show in the Multiverse Saga and the one that has aged the best thanks to all the concepts it introduced that were key to the development of the MCU’s multiverse. Loki’s visual style and setting also make it the most timeless MCU show to date, ensuring that it will continue to age like fine wine. Loki is the only show that must be watched or rewatched before Avengers: Doomsday, and it’s to be seen what Loki’s role will be in the movie. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Loki 7/10 Release Date June 9, 2021 Network Disney+ Loki is a series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the alternate version of the titular character, Loki, after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Taken by the Time Variance Authority, he must confront his identity and choices while aiding in fixing the disrupted timeline to avert a greater threat. Avengers: Doomsday Release Date December 18, 2026 Runtime 165 Minutes Cast Vanessa Kirby Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Johnny Storm / Human Torch Ebon Moss-Bachrach Ben Grimm / The Thing Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr. The upcoming film notably marks the beginning of Phase 6 of the MCU.