What to watch before Avengers: Doomsday

No. 01 · 2012 · Film · 2h 23m

The Avengers

When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!

Why it matters: The first team-up pays off all five earlier films and introduces Thanos in the credits.

Starring

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo

Director

Joss Whedon

Box office

$1.52 billion on a $220 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%

No. 02 · 2018 · Film · 2h 29m

Avengers: Infinity War

As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.

Why it matters: Thanos collects the stones: the first half of the Infinity Saga finale.

Starring

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth

Director

Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Box office

$2.05 billion on a $300 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 85%

No. 03 · 2019 · Film · 3h 1m

Avengers: Endgame

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.

Why it matters: The Infinity Saga finale, built on everything before it; the MCU's biggest payoff.

Starring

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo

Director

Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Box office

$2.94 billion on a $356 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%

No. 04 · 2021 · Series · 5h 2m

Loki

After stealing the Tesseract during the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” an alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority, a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline. They give Loki a choice: face being erased from existence due to being a “time variant” or help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat.

Why it matters: Introduces the TVA and the multiverse; essential for the Multiverse Saga.

Starring

Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Creator

Michael Waldron

Scores

IMDb 8.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%

Episodes

12 across 2 seasons

No. 05 · 2021 · Film · 2h 12m

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

Why it matters: A largely standalone origin story whose ten rings get a mysterious credits tease.

Starring

Simu Liu, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Awkwafina

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Box office

$432 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%

No. 06 · 2022 · Film · 2h 6m

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Why it matters: Follows directly from WandaVision and No Way Home.

Starring

Benedict Cumberbatch, Xochitl Gomez, and Elizabeth Olsen

Director

Sam Raimi

Box office

$956 million on a $295 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 73%

No. 07 · 2022 · Film · 2h 42m

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

Why it matters: Wakanda after T'Challa; introduces Namor and Riri Williams.

Starring

Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, and Lupita Nyong'o

Director

Ryan Coogler

Box office

$859 million on a $250 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 84%

No. 08 · 2024 · Film · 2h 8m

Deadpool & Wolverine

A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine.

Why it matters: Brings Fox's Deadpool and Wolverine into the MCU and sets up the multiverse finale.

Starring

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin

Director

Shawn Levy

Box office

$1.34 billion on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 77%

No. 09 · 2025 · Film · 1h 59m

Captain America: Brave New World

After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

Why it matters: Sam Wilson's first film as Captain America; follows The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Starring

Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and Danny Ramirez

Director

Julius Onah

Box office

$415 million on a $180 million budget

Scores

IMDb 5.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 46%

No. 10 · 2025 · Film · 2h 7m

Thunderbolts*

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Why it matters: Yelena leads a team of antiheroes; key to the road to Doomsday.

Starring

Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Director

Jake Schreier

Box office

$382 million on a $180 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 88%

No. 11 · 2025 · Film · 1h 11m

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel's First Family has arrived! Join the cast, crew, and fans live from the blue carpet at the World Premiere of Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Why it matters: Marvel's First Family in their own retro-future world; essential before Avengers: Doomsday.

Starring

Anthony Carboni, Tamara Krinsky, and Langston Belton

Scores

IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%

No. 01 · 2012 · Film

The Avengers recap

Loki arrives on Earth through the Tesseract, takes control of Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Erik Selvig with his scepter, and steals the cube; in return for the Tesseract, an alien army called the Chitauri will give him Earth. Nick Fury gathers Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner. They capture Loki in Stuttgart, and Thor arrives to take his brother home. On S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying helicarrier, the team bickers while Loki's plan plays out: Barton attacks the ship, Banner turns into the Hulk, Thor is dropped from the sky in a cell, and Loki escapes after killing Agent Coulson. Coulson's death finally unites the team. Selvig opens a portal above Stark Tower in Manhattan, and the Chitauri pour through. Natasha frees Barton from Loki's control, and the six heroes fight side by side for the first time.

How The Avengers ends

The World Security Council fires a nuclear missile at Manhattan. Tony carries it through the portal into space, where it destroys the Chitauri mothership, and he falls back to Earth just as Natasha closes the portal with Loki's scepter. The Hulk smashes Loki into the floor. Thor takes Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard, and the team goes separate ways, with Fury sure they will come back when needed.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the mid-credits scene, the Other tells his master that attacking Earth would be to court death, and the master turns and smiles: it is Thanos. In the post-credits scene, the exhausted Avengers eat shawarma together in silence.

No. 02 · 2018 · Film

Avengers: Infinity War recap

Thanos takes the Power Stone from Xandar and the Space Stone from Loki aboard the Asgardian refugee ship, killing half the Asgardians, Heimdall and Loki, and leaving Thor for dead. His children attack New York for the Time Stone, and Tony Stark, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man end up on Thanos's ship heading into space. The Guardians rescue Thor, who goes with Rocket and Groot to make a new weapon, Stormbreaker. Thanos takes the Reality Stone from the Collector and sacrifices his daughter Gamora on Vormir for the Soul Stone. On Titan, Tony, Strange, Peter and the Guardians almost pull the gauntlet off Thanos, until Quill learns Gamora is dead and attacks him. Strange, who has seen 14 million futures and only one win, gives up the Time Stone to save Tony. Thanos comes to Wakanda for the Mind Stone in Vision's head, and the Avengers make their stand.

How Avengers: Infinity War ends

Wanda destroys the Mind Stone, killing Vision, but Thanos reverses time with the Time Stone and pulls it out. Thor arrives too late and strikes Thanos in the chest instead of the head. Thanos snaps his fingers, and half of all life turns to dust, including Bucky, T'Challa, Wanda, Sam, Groot, most of the Guardians, Strange and Peter. Thanos wakes on a quiet planet and watches the sunrise.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the post-credits scene, Nick Fury and Maria Hill see the dust spreading in Atlanta. As Fury turns to dust, he sends a signal on a modified pager, which shows the insignia of Captain Marvel.

No. 03 · 2019 · Film

Avengers: Endgame recap

Three weeks after the Snap, Carol Danvers rescues Tony and Nebula from space. The Avengers find Thanos on a farm planet, but he has destroyed the stones, and Thor beheads him. Five years later, Scott Lang escapes the Quantum Realm, where only five hours have passed, and suggests time travel. Tony works out how to do it, Bruce Banner has merged his mind with the Hulk, and Thor is drunk and depressed in New Asgard. The team splits up to take the stones from the past: New York in 2012, Asgard in 2013, and Morag and Vormir in 2014. Natasha sacrifices herself on Vormir for the Soul Stone. Tony and Steve go to 1970 for the Tesseract and Pym particles, and Tony speaks to his father. A past Thanos learns of the plan through Nebula's implants and swaps in his own past Nebula. Banner uses a new gauntlet to bring everyone back, and the 2014 Thanos destroys the Avengers base.

How Avengers: Endgame ends

Steve wields Mjolnir and every returning hero arrives through Strange's portals for a battle with Thanos's army. Thanos gets the gauntlet, but Tony takes the stones and snaps his fingers, dusting Thanos and his army, and dies of the strain. After Tony's funeral, Steve returns the stones to their times and chooses to stay in the past with Peggy, returning as an old man to give Sam Wilson his shield. Thor leaves with the Guardians and makes Valkyrie king of New Asgard.

Post-credits scenes

No. There is no post-credits scene, only the sound of hammering on metal, like Tony building his first suit in the cave.

No. 04 · 2021 · Series

Loki recap

This is the first season. The 2012 Loki, who escaped with the Tesseract during Endgame, is arrested by the Time Variance Authority, which removes, or prunes, branches that stray from the Sacred Timeline set by the Time-Keepers. Agent Mobius recruits him to hunt a variant who is killing TVA soldiers. The variant is Sylvie, another Loki. Stranded with her on the dying moon Lamentis, Loki falls for her. He learns that TVA workers are variants with their memories wiped and that the Time-Keepers are androids. Loki is pruned and lands in the Void, where other Lokis live and a storm creature called Alioth eats everything. Sylvie follows, and together they enchant Alioth, which opens the way to a citadel at the End of Time.

How Loki ends

The citadel belongs to He Who Remains, a man from the 31st century who built the TVA to end a war between his own variants across the multiverse. He offers Loki and Sylvie a choice: take over, or kill him and let his worse variants loose. Sylvie sends Loki back to the TVA and kills him, and the timeline branches out of control. Loki finds that Mobius does not know him and that the TVA now honors a statue of He Who Remains. Season 2 continues the story.

No. 05 · 2021 · Film

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings recap

Xu Wenwu, a warlord who has lived a thousand years with the power of the ten rings, gives them up for Ying Li, a guardian of the hidden village of Ta Lo. When she is killed by his enemies, he takes them up again and trains their son Shang-Chi as an assassin. Years later, Shang-Chi lives in San Francisco as Shaun, a valet, with his best friend Katy. Ten Rings fighters attack him on a bus to steal the pendant his mother gave him. In Macau, he finds his sister Xialing running a fight club, and Wenwu captures them both. Wenwu believes Li is alive and trapped behind a sealed gate in Ta Lo, and he plans to destroy the village to free her. Trevor Slattery, the actor who once played the Mandarin, now Wenwu's prisoner, and his creature friend Morris lead them to Ta Lo, where their aunt Ying Nan explains the voice is the Dweller-in-Darkness, a demon that feeds on souls.

How Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ends

Wenwu attacks the gate and soul eaters escape. Shang-Chi beats his father in a fight, and Wenwu saves his son from the Dweller, gives him the rings and dies. Shang-Chi, Xialing, Katy and the Great Protector, a dragon, kill the Dweller-in-Darkness.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the mid-credits scene, Wong brings Shang-Chi and Katy to Kamar-Taj, where, with Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers on video, they learn the rings are sending a signal to someone unknown. In the post-credits scene, Xialing takes over the Ten Rings and trains women in its ranks.

No. 06 · 2022 · Film

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness recap

America Chavez, a teenager who can travel between universes but cannot control it, is chased into New York by a monster, and Doctor Strange and Wong save her. Strange asks Wanda Maximoff for help, but Wanda, corrupted by the Darkhold, has been sending the monsters: she wants America's power to reach a universe where her sons Billy and Tommy are alive. Wanda attacks Kamar-Taj, and America accidentally takes herself and Strange to Earth-838. There, the Illuminati, a council of Mordo, Captain Carter, Black Bolt, Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, Reed Richards and Professor X, hold Strange responsible because their own Strange caused a disaster across universes. Wanda takes over her Earth-838 self and kills most of the Illuminati. Strange and America look for the Book of Vishanti, but Wanda destroys it and seizes America.

How Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ends

Strange enters the corpse of a dead Strange to get to Wanda, and America finally controls her power and sends Wanda to Earth-838, where the boys are terrified of her. Wanda brings down Mount Wundagore on herself, destroying the Darkhold in every universe. Strange returns home with a third eye from the Darkhold's influence, and America stays to train at Kamar-Taj.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the mid-credits scene, the sorceress Clea tells Strange he has caused an incursion and takes him into the Dark Dimension to fix it. In the post-credits scene, the pizza vendor whom Strange cursed to punch himself is finally freed from the spell.

No. 07 · 2022 · Film

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever recap

T'Challa dies of an illness his sister Shuri could not cure. A year later, Queen Ramonda leads Wakanda while other nations try to take its vibranium. An American machine built to find vibranium locates some at the bottom of the Atlantic, and the team is killed by Namor, king of Talokan, an underwater people. Namor demands that Wakanda hand over the machine's inventor, an MIT student named Riri Williams, or he will attack. Shuri and Okoye find Riri, but the Talokanil capture Shuri and Riri, and Namor shows Shuri his kingdom. Nakia rescues them, and Namor attacks Wakanda in revenge, killing Ramonda. Shuri recreates the heart-shaped herb, becomes the new Black Panther and sees Killmonger in the ancestral plane.

How Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ends

Wakanda lures Namor to a ship at sea and battles the Talokanil. Shuri fights Namor on a beach, wounds him and offers peace instead of killing him, and he yields. Riri goes home, and Shuri goes to Haiti, where Nakia has been living, and burns her funeral robes to mourn her brother.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the mid-credits scene, Nakia introduces Shuri to her young son, Toussaint, who reveals his Wakandan name is T'Challa: he is T'Challa's son. There is no post-credits scene.

No. 08 · 2024 · Film

Deadpool & Wolverine recap

In 2018, Wade Wilson uses Cable's time device to save his girlfriend Vanessa, then tries to join the Avengers and is turned away. Six years later, he has retired as Deadpool and sells cars. At his birthday party, the Time Variance Authority takes him. Mr. Paradox, a TVA agent, offers him a place on the Sacred Timeline but explains that Wade's universe is dying because its anchor being, Logan, died in 2029, and that he plans to speed it up with a machine called the Time Ripper. Wade steals a TemPad and searches the multiverse for a replacement Wolverine, finding a variant Logan whose own world was destroyed. Paradox sends them to the Void, a dumping ground ruled by Cassandra Nova, Charles Xavier's twin, who kills Johnny Storm. Wade and Logan escape with Laura and a resistance of forgotten heroes, and Cassandra uses Paradox's means to reach Wade's world and take the Time Ripper.

How Deadpool & Wolverine ends

Wade and Logan destroy the Time Ripper together, which kills Cassandra, and survive by sharing the burden. Hunter B-15 arrests Paradox and confirms Wade's universe is safe. Logan stays in Wade's world as its new anchor, and Wade's friends gather, with Logan urging him to reconcile with Vanessa.

Post-credits scenes

During the credits, a montage of behind-the-scenes footage from Fox's Marvel films plays. In the post-credits scene, an unseen clip from the car ride shows that Johnny Storm really did say the crude insults about Cassandra that Deadpool repeated before she killed him.

No. 09 · 2025 · Film

Captain America: Brave New World recap

Thaddeus Ross is now president of the United States and sends Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, and Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, to stop the mercenary Sidewinder in Mexico. At a White House summit about adamantium, a metal found on Celestial Island, the remains of the Celestial Tiamut, several men, including Isaiah Bradley, are triggered by a song to try to assassinate Ross, and later remember nothing. Sam clears Isaiah's name by following the trail to Samuel Sterns, the scientist exposed to Bruce Banner's blood years ago, whom Ross secretly held to help win the election. Sterns, now a genius with gamma powers, escapes. Ross admits he has been taking pills Sterns made for his failing heart, which have been exposing him to gamma radiation. Sterns mind-controls American pilots to attack Japanese ships, and Torres is hurt stopping them.

How Captain America: Brave New World ends

At a press conference, Ross learns his secret is out, and his anger turns him into the Red Hulk, who wrecks part of the White House. Sam fights him and reminds him of his daughter Betty, and Ross changes back. Bradley is cleared, the treaty is signed, and Sam invites Torres to the Avengers. Ross resigns and goes to the Raft prison, where Sam and Betty visit him.

Post-credits scenes

No. There is no mid-credits scene. In the post-credits scene, Sterns, in prison, warns Sam that other Earths exist and that an attack from them is coming.

No. 10 · 2025 · Film

Thunderbolts* recap

Yelena Belova, depressed after Natasha's death, does black ops work for CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Sent to a secret vault to kill a thief, she meets John Walker, Ava Starr (Ghost) and Antonia Dreykov (Taskmaster), all sent to kill each other so Valentina can erase evidence of her illegal O.X.E. projects; Ava kills Antonia. With them is a confused man named Bob, the only survivor of an experiment to create a super soldier called the Sentry. They escape with help from Alexei Shostakov, while Bucky Barnes, now a congressman, investigates Valentina, who faces impeachment. Bob gains enormous power, turns on the team and becomes the Void, his dark side, which swallows the people of New York in shadows, trapping them in rooms of their worst regrets.

How Thunderbolts* ends

Yelena lets the Void take her and finds Bob inside his own memories of an abusive childhood. The team follows her in and helps Bob face his darkness, which breaks the Void's hold and frees the city. Valentina presents the team to the press as the New Avengers, but Yelena now has leverage over her.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the mid-credits scene, the team argues over their images on a cereal box. In the post-credits scene, 14 months later, the New Avengers are in a dispute with Sam Wilson over the name, when they detect a ship from another dimension entering Earth's orbit, bearing the Fantastic Four's logo.

No. 11 · 2025 · Film

The Fantastic Four: First Steps recap

On Earth-828 in a 1960s retro future, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm are celebrated heroes four years after cosmic rays gave them their powers. Reed and Sue announce Sue is pregnant. The Silver Surfer arrives and announces that Galactus, a planet-eating giant, has chosen Earth. The team flies into space to bargain and is captured by Galactus, who wants their unborn child, whose cosmic power could end his hunger. Sue gives birth in space as they escape past a neutron star, and they return with baby Franklin. The public turns against the family when they refuse to trade Franklin for the planet. Reed builds teleportation bridges to move Earth away, Sue rallies the world to build them, and the Surfer, whom Johnny learns is Shalla-Bal, a woman who serves Galactus to save her own world, destroys them.

How The Fantastic Four: First Steps ends

The team uses Franklin as bait to lure Galactus to the last teleporter, while Harvey Elder, the Mole Man, evacuates New York underground. Sue pushes Galactus into the portal with her powers, and Shalla-Bal, persuaded by Johnny, sends him through as it closes. Sue dies from the strain and is revived by Franklin. The world celebrates the team's fifth anniversary.

Post-credits scenes

Yes. In the mid-credits scene, four years later, Sue reads to Franklin and returns from fetching a book to find him with a cloaked man holding a metal mask: Doctor Doom, setting up Avengers: Doomsday. There is no separate post-credits story scene.