Marvel Reveals Official Watchlist for Avengers: Doomsday

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo claimed in an interview promoting Avengers: Doomsday that the movie would be “starting over from scratch” and wouldn’t be “leaning on anything from the past.” The directors suggested that after Doomsday, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would effectively return to “phase zero,” requiring no prior viewing.

That premise seemed unlikely given the sheer number of returning Marvel actors. Confirmed cast members include Chris Evans as Captain America, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Ian McKellen as Magneto. Now, Marvel has confirmed that background viewing is indeed expected by releasing an official watchlist for Doomsday on Disney Plus.

Marvel’s Official Avengers: Doomsday Watchlist

• X-Men
• X2
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• The Avengers
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Avengers: Endgame
• Loki
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Captain America: Brave New World
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
• Thunderbolts*
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Across 18 years of superhero storytelling under Disney, expecting viewers to jump into a major crossover without context was never realistic. Steve Rogers returning after traveling back in time to live with Peggy Carter carries emotional weight only if audiences already know his arc through earlier MCU releases.

Most titles on the list match characters expected to show up, including Loki, Shang-Chi, and the Fantastic Four. Some notable chapters are missing, however. X-Men: Days of Future Past established the core alternate timelines and time travel rules that define modern mutant storylines, yet Marvel omitted the film from the playlist.

The entire Iron Man trilogy is also absent. Robert Downey Jr. previously starred as Tony Stark and will return to the franchise as the villain Doctor Doom. Leaving out his original solo movies gives Marvel an easy way to sidestep early questions about why Victor von Doom shares a face with the fallen Avenger, assuming the film addresses the resemblance at all.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on Dec. 18, leaving viewers plenty of time to work through the recommended catalog before opening night.

Source: Polygon