One Road · One clock · One next action
What to Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday
59 preparation titles. Avengers: Doomsday is the destination and is never included in your completion count. Whether you are a first-time viewer or catching up, this is the McuWatch order for Marvel movies and shows, including the Fox X-Men films.
Why this order?
This is a curated preparation order, not strict release order or in-universe chronology. It builds context across the MCU and selected Fox stories. The Road is the authoritative order; The Sacred Timeline helps you explore connections.
CAN'T MISS, Essential, Helpful Context and Bonus Context describe our editorial view of relevance. Every tier remains part of this Road's completion count, and CAN'T MISS titles are always included in Essential lists and filters. Filters change what you see, not what completion means.
CAN'T MISS: the core setup for the road to Avengers: Doomsday. If you're short on time, watch these first. CAN'T MISS is McuWatch's own editorial pick, not an official Marvel requirement.
Open your RoadAvengers: Doomsday watch order FAQ
What order should I watch Marvel movies before Avengers: Doomsday?
McuWatch follows a curated preparation order of 59 titles, grouped as: Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4, Phase 5, Fox X-Men, Deadpool & Wolverine Context, Phase 5 Continued, Phase 6. Start at title 1 and work forward; the Road always shows your next title.
Is this the MCU chronological order or the MCU release order?
Neither, strictly. It is a curated preparation order, not strict release order or in-universe chronology. Titles are arranged to build the context that matters for Avengers: Doomsday.
Do I need to watch the Marvel shows to understand the movies?
13 of the 59 titles are shows. Every title has a tier: CAN'T MISS, Essential, Helpful Context, or Bonus Context (CAN'T MISS titles are also Essential). The shows marked Essential are WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki Season 1, Loki Season 2; the rest are Helpful Context and can be postponed if time is limited.
How many titles are on the Avengers: Doomsday watch list?
59 preparation titles: 46 movies and 13 shows. 33 are Essential (including 8 CAN'T MISS), 21 are Helpful Context, and 5 are Bonus Context. Avengers: Doomsday itself is the destination and is not counted.
Should I watch X-Men, Deadpool, and Wolverine before Doomsday?
The list includes 9 of them: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Deadpool, Logan, Deadpool 2, Deadpool & Wolverine. Check each title's tier to decide what to prioritize.
How long does it take to watch everything before Avengers: Doomsday?
About 163 hr 53 min for all 59 titles, using listed movie runtimes and estimated show runtimes from the McuWatch dataset.
What is the shortest way to catch up before Doomsday?
Watch only the Essential titles: 33 titles, about 84 hr 21 min. For the shortest version, the 29 Essential movies alone come to about 63 hr 31 min.
Do I need to watch Eternals?
Eternals is #30 of 59 and tagged Bonus Context, which means it is safe to postpone if time is limited. Introduces cosmic beings operating above the usual scale.
Do I need to watch the Fox X-Men movies?
The Road includes 5 Fox X-Men films. Essential: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past. Helpful Context: none. Bonus Context: X-Men: The Last Stand.
Can I skip Phase 4?
Not entirely. Phase 4 has 11 titles; 5 are Essential (WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki Season 1, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). The Bonus Context ones (Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder) are the safest to postpone.
Do I need to watch every Marvel movie before Doomsday?
No. Of the 59 titles, 33 are Essential. The 26 Helpful Context and Bonus Context titles add context but can be postponed if time is limited.
Which Marvel movie should I start with?
Iron Man (2008) is #1 in the McuWatch order and tagged Essential. The starting point of the whole saga and the character whose choices echo through every later film.
Are the Fox X-Men movies part of the story?
McuWatch includes them as the separate mutant film universe now folded into the story. 5 Fox X-Men films are on the Road.
Can I finish the MCU watch order before Doomsday?
All 59 titles take about 163 hr 53 min: roughly 5 hr 28 min a day over 30 days, or 2 hr 44 min a day over 60. The Essential-only list takes about 84 hr 21 min.
Is Logan required viewing?
Logan is #46 of 59 and tagged Essential: Core viewing. Strongly recommended. The emotional endpoint of the original mutant era.
Should I watch X-Men: The Last Stand or skip it?
X-Men: The Last Stand is #42 of 59 and tagged Bonus Context: Safe to postpone if time is limited. Closes the original trilogy's arc.
Should I watch Deadpool 2 before Deadpool & Wolverine?
Deadpool 2 is #47 of 59 and tagged Helpful Context: Recommended, but not required. Adds the time-and-place mechanics used in the crossover.
Watch and save your place
For movies, save minutes watched and explicitly mark the title watched when finished. For shows, log completed episodes. The last episode completes the title. A saved position does not expire.
Personal show interruptions let you choose a movie to watch before returning. They do not add titles, replace your schedule or move pinned dates.
Runtime estimates for episodes are averages, so remaining-time forecasts are approximate.
Protect your progress
No account is required. Local progress belongs to this browser on this device. Clearing browser data can remove it. Another browser—including an Instagram or TikTok browser—can have a separate copy.
Use optional account sync across devices, or export a JSON backup and restore it in the browser you want to use. CSV is for reading your records; JSON is the restore format.
Open Data & BackupAdd to your home screen
iPhone / iPad: Open in Safari, use Share, then Add to Home Screen. Options vary by iOS version.
Android: Open in Chrome and use Install app or Add to Home screen from the menu when available.
Installing does not transfer progress from another browser. Back up or sync first.
Common questions
Why isn't every Marvel title included?
This is a focused preparation list, not a complete catalog. An omission does not mean a title is non-canon or unimportant. Future Road changes need a deliberate migration that preserves existing history.
Can I explore a different order?
Yes. The Timeline Lens is an exploration view sharing your existing checkmarks. It does not change your plan or authoritative next action.
Does marking a title watched change my pinned dates?
Your explicit progress is recorded separately. Pins stay under your control; reviewing the Plan lets you adjust remaining work.
The current Road
- 1. Iron Man2008 · Essential
- 2. The Incredible Hulk2008 · Helpful Context
- 3. Iron Man 22010 · Helpful Context
- 4. Thor2011 · Essential
- 5. Captain America: The First Avenger2011 · Essential
- 6. The Avengers2012 · Essential
- 7. Iron Man 32013 · Helpful Context
- 8. Thor: The Dark World2013 · Helpful Context
- 9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier2014 · Essential
- 10. Guardians of the Galaxy2014 · Essential
- 11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 22017 · Helpful Context
- 12. Avengers: Age of Ultron2015 · Essential
- 13. Ant-Man2015 · Essential
- 14. Captain America: Civil War2016 · Essential
- 15. Black Widow2021 · Helpful Context
- 16. Doctor Strange2016 · Essential
- 17. Spider-Man: Homecoming2017 · Essential
- 18. Thor: Ragnarok2017 · Essential
- 19. Black Panther2018 · Essential
- 20. Avengers: Infinity War2018 · CAN'T MISS
- 21. Ant-Man and the Wasp2018 · Helpful Context
- 22. Captain Marvel2019 · Helpful Context
- 23. Avengers: Endgame2019 · CAN'T MISS
- 24. Spider-Man: Far From Home2019 · Essential
- 25. WandaVision2021 · Essential
- 26. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier2021 · Essential
- 27. Loki Season 12021 · CAN'T MISS
- 28. Hawkeye2021 · Helpful Context
- 29. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings2021 · Helpful Context
- 30. Eternals2021 · Bonus Context
- 31. Spider-Man: No Way Home2021 · CAN'T MISS
- 32. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness2022 · Essential
- 33. Ms. Marvel2022 · Helpful Context
- 34. Thor: Love and Thunder2022 · Bonus Context
- 35. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever2022 · Helpful Context
- 36. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania2023 · Essential
- 37. Loki Season 22023 · CAN'T MISS
- 38. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 32023 · Helpful Context
- 39. The Marvels2023 · Helpful Context
- 40. X-Men2000 · Essential
- 41. X2: X-Men United2003 · Essential
- 42. X-Men: The Last Stand2006 · Bonus Context
- 43. X-Men: First Class2011 · Essential
- 44. X-Men: Days of Future Past2014 · Essential
- 45. Deadpool2016 · Helpful Context
- 46. Logan2017 · Essential
- 47. Deadpool 22018 · Helpful Context
- 48. Deadpool & Wolverine2024 · CAN'T MISS
- 49. Agatha All Along2024 · Helpful Context
- 50. Captain America: Brave New World2025 · Essential
- 51. Daredevil: Born Again Season 12025 · Helpful Context
- 52. Wonder Man2026 · Bonus Context
- 53. Thunderbolts*2025 · CAN'T MISS
- 54. Ironheart2025 · Bonus Context
- 55. The Fantastic Four: First Steps2025 · CAN'T MISS
- 56. Daredevil: Born Again Season 22026 · Helpful Context
- 57. The Punisher: One Last Kill2026 · Helpful Context
- 58. Spider-Man: Brand New Day2026 · Essential
- 59. VisionQuest2026 · Helpful Context