Which Disney+ shows actually matter before Doomsday

Marvel's TV side is where a lot of people fall off. The movies feel like events. The shows feel like homework. And some of them, honestly, are homework you can hand in late.

This guide sorts the Disney+ shows by how much they matter for Avengers: Doomsday. The Road is 59 titles before Avengers: Doomsday, and a good chunk of those are series. Your weekends are limited, so here's where we'd spend them.

A quick word on trust. Confirmed stuff (Marvel's own cast announcement, episode counts) we state flat. Reported stuff from outlets, we mostly leave out. Everything else, like which show is "worth it," is our opinion, and we'll say so.

We're not predicting Doomsday's plot. When we say a show "matters," we mean it builds a character Marvel has announced for the movie, or it builds an idea the recent movies keep coming back to. That's it.

The short answer

If you watch only two shows, our take is:

Loki (both seasons)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Both connect straight to confirmed Doomsday cast members, and both shape characters who carry a lot of the current MCU. Everything else is a bonus.

The two we'd fight you on

Loki (Season 1: 6 episodes, Season 2: 6 episodes)

In our opinion, it's the strongest Marvel show, and the one most tied to where the MCU is heading. It's a strange, talky, time-bending series with a real heart.

Why it matters before Doomsday? Tom Hiddleston is in Marvel's announced cast. Loki is where his character goes from a scheming villain to something far more interesting. The show also introduces the multiverse as a working idea, and the recent movies keep building on it. If you skip it, a lot of the big-picture talk about timelines will feel like jargon.

One practical note: Twelve episodes total. You can finish Season 1 in a weekend. We'd give Season 2 its own week.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (6 episodes)

Uneven but important. The buddy moments between Sam and Bucky are the highlight, and the show isn't afraid to ask hard questions about who gets to carry the shield.

Why it matters before Doomsday? Three announced cast members are tied to this show: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Wyatt Russell. It's where Sam earns the Captain America title and where John Walker, later U.S. Agent, gets introduced. Thunderbolts* and Brave New World both lean on it.

One practical note: Six episodes, roughly movie-length if you binge two a night.

Strongly recommended

Hawkeye (6 episodes)

A cozy, holiday-flavored show that's better than its reputation. Lower stakes, lots of charm.

Why it matters before Doomsday? Florence Pugh's Yelena gets one of her best stretches here. If you're planning to watch Thunderbolts*, Hawkeye fills in where her head is after Black Widow. It's a character move, not a plot requirement.

What If...? (Season 1: 9 episodes, Season 2: 9 episodes, Season 3: 8 episodes)

Hit or miss by design. It's an animated anthology, so some episodes are great and some are filler. Season 1 is the strongest.

Why it matters before Doomsday? It's the most playful look at the multiverse idea. You won't need specific episodes. But if you want a feel for alternate versions of familiar heroes, a few Season 1 episodes are a quick way to get it.

One practical note: You can cherry-pick here. Watch three or four episodes from Season 1, then decide.

WandaVision (9 episodes)

Clever, emotional and the most creative format experiment Marvel's done on TV. The first few episodes are deliberately odd. Stick with it.

Why it matters before Doomsday? None of its leads are on Marvel's announced Doomsday cast, so this is context, not a requirement. It did shape the multiverse-era MCU, and it leads into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Worth it if you like the ride as much as the destination.

Nice to have

Ms. Marvel (6 episodes)

Bright, funny and big-hearted. One of the most fun shows to just hang out with.

Why it matters before Doomsday? It brings Kamala Khan into the MCU, and she's a big part of The Marvels. Kamala isn't on Marvel's announced Doomsday cast, so treat this as a bonus.

Agatha All Along (9 episodes)

A witchy road trip with musical numbers. It's a spin-off from WandaVision and plays best if you've seen that first.

Why it matters before Doomsday? Honestly, not much directly. It's a self-contained story about magic and grief. Watch it because it sounds fun to you, not because you think you need it.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (9 episodes)

A sitcom wearing a superhero costume. The fourth-wall jokes either work for you or they don't.

Why it matters before Doomsday? Low connection. It's fun, but it's not building toward the Doomsday cast in any clear way.

Moon Knight (6 episodes)

A strong lead performance in a show that feels like it lives in its own corner of the MCU.

Why it matters before Doomsday? Basically standalone. Great if you like psychological thrillers with a mythology twist. Not needed for Doomsday prep.

Safe to put on the back burner

These shows aren't bad picks. They're just the ones we'd move to the end of the line if your time is tight.

Secret Invasion (6 episodes)

A spy thriller with a slow pace and a lot of mood. Opinions are split, and ours is that it's skippable for now.

Why it matters before Doomsday? It has some effect on the wider world in later movies, but those films explain what you need. You won't be lost without it.

Echo (5 episodes)

A grounded street-level story, short and tight.

Why it matters before Doomsday? It connects more to the Daredevil corner of Marvel than to the Avengers corner. Watch it if you're into that side.

Daredevil: Born Again (Season 1: 9 episodes)

Gritty and well-acted, with a real crime-drama feel.

Why it matters before Doomsday? It's in its own lane. No direct link to Marvel's announced Doomsday cast. Watch it for itself.

Ironheart (6 episodes)

It picks up Riri Williams after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Why it matters before Doomsday? A light link to the Wakanda movies, but Riri isn't on Marvel's announced Doomsday cast. Save it for when you've got spare evenings.

Our suggested show path

Here's the order we'd go in if you want the shows that matter most without getting buried. This is opinion, not a rule:

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sets up Sam, Bucky and John Walker.
Loki, Season 1. Builds the multiverse idea and Hiddleston's arc.
Hawkeye. A breather, plus Yelena.
Loki, Season 2. Finish the arc before the bigger movies.
What If...?, a few Season 1 episodes. Optional multiverse flavor.

Slot these between the movies rather than watching all of them in a row. Falcon and the Winter Soldier works well right after Endgame. Hawkeye fits right before Thunderbolts*. Loki can go almost anywhere after Endgame. Early Season 1 is fine soon after, and Season 2 works best later.

A word on episode counts

Shows are where watch time sneaks up on you. A 6-episode season is about the same as two or three movies. A 9-episode season is closer to four. If you're short on time, the shows are where you'll save the most hours. That's why we're stricter about what we call "must-watch" here than in the movie guide.

Keeping it manageable

The honest truth is that most people won't finish every series. That's fine. Pick the two must-watches, add whatever sounds fun, and let the rest wait.

If you're juggling movies and shows together, McuWatch keeps your next title in one place. Save My Place remembers where you left off mid-season. Tonight Mode lets you watch and save progress, so you don't lose track between episodes.

So, where do you start?

Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are the shows that matter most before Doomsday, in our opinion. They build confirmed cast members and core ideas. Hawkeye and What If...? are great extras. The rest are good TV, but they're not the shows we'd prioritize for Doomsday.

McuWatch is fan-made. Not affiliated with Marvel, Disney, or Sony.