Tue, August 18, 2026 at 10:27 PM UTC
Marvel fans now have some homework before Avengers: Doomsday.
Disney+ has released a list of 15 Marvel movies and shows to watch before the movie arrives Dec. 18 The surprising part is how far back Marvel wants fans to go: The list starts with 2000’s X-Men and 2003’s X2
That’s notable because director Joe Russo recently said Doomsday would not rely heavily on Marvel’s past.
“This is starting over from scratch,” Russo said at SXSW London in June “We want to make sure everybody feels like this isn’t leaning on anything from the past.”
CBR highlighted that same contradiction, reporting that Disney+’s new collection arrives despite Russo’s recent “Phase Zero” comments. The watchlist asks fans to revisit 14 movies plus Loki before Doomsday.
The new Disney+ list suggests fans may still benefit from knowing quite a bit of that past.
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Marvel Wants Fans to Watch the Old X-Men Movies
The 15-title list includes X-Men, X2, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Infinity War, Endgame, Loki, Shang-Chi, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The inclusion of X-Men and X2 stands out because both movies were released by Fox before the MCU existed.
Several actors from those films are also returning for Doomsday, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer.
In other words, the old X-Men movies may matter more than fans expected.
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One Marvel Movie Is Surprisingly Missing
The Marvels isn’t on the list.
That’s an interesting omission because the movie’s mid-credits scene placed Monica Rambeau in another universe alongside Grammer’s Beast, creating one of Marvel’s clearest connections to the X-Men.
Marvel hasn’t explained why it was left out, so it’s unclear whether the omission actually means anything for Doomsday.
Fans who don’t want to watch all 15 can probably make things easier. Endgame, Loki, No Way Home, Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts and First Steps provide much of the recent setup. Add X-Men and X2 if you want to know the returning mutants.
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This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Aug 18, 2026, where it first appeared in theEntertainmentsection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
