Avengers: Doomsday – Every MCU Multiverse Saga Project You Have to Watch to Prepare

Marvel Studios shocked fans worldwide with their elaborate cast reveal for Avengers: Doomsday, confirming the return of beloved MCU characters alongside surprising additions from Fox’s X-Men universe. With Robert Downey Jr. stepping into the role of Doctor Doom and the multiverse collapsing around our heroes, Avengers: Doomsday promises to be one of the most ambitious crossover events in cinematic history. However, fans need essential context from key Multiverse Saga projects to fully appreciate the upcoming cosmic collision scheduled for May 2026. Luckily, not every Multiversal Saga movie or TV show is mandatory, so you don’t have to spend weeks watching (or rewatching) every chapter in the MCU.

Based on the plot details Marvel Studios revealed about Avengers: Doomsday and the recent cast release, here’s every MCU Multiversal Saga project you need to watch before the upcoming crossover movie.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

While not focused on the multiverse, Shang-Chi’s (Simu Liu) introduction to the MCU provides essential context for his confirmed appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. The film establishes Shang-Chi’s mastery of martial arts and his acquisition of the powerful Ten Rings, ancient weapons with mysterious origins that could prove vital against Doctor Doom’s forces. The mid-credits scene showing Wong (Benedict Wong), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) discussing the cosmic nature of the rings hints at their potential importance in the larger multiversal conflict. Plus, the post-credits scenes underline how Shang-Chi already has Avengers connections to draw him into the central conflict.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the most critical pre-Doomsday viewings, despite Benedict Cumberbatch not being among the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. Doctor Strange’s second MCU movie introduces the concept of “incursions,”  catastrophic events where two universes collide, potentially destroying both. Through Doctor Strange’s journey across multiple realities, viewers witness firsthand the devastating consequences of multiversal tampering, explaining what will be at stake in Avengers: Doosmday.

After all, the upcoming movie draws from the “Secret War” storylines in Marvel Comics, where incursions almost led to the destruction of the entire multiverse. Finally, the introduction of Earth-838 and its Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness establishes how different realities handle multiversal threats, while the film’s portrayal of alternate versions of familiar characters prepares audiences for the variant heroes confirmed to appear in Doomsday, including Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and other Fox X-Men alumni.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor’s most recent solo adventure is essential for understanding his current status heading into Avengers: Doomsday. The film concludes with Thor adopting Love (Gorr’s daughter) and embarking on a new chapter as both a warrior and parental figure. Understanding Thor’s emotional journey and his newfound responsibilities provide context for his confirmed role in the upcoming conflict with Doctor Doom, where he’ll likely be balancing his duties as an Avenger and a guardian. Since the God of Thunder is returning, Love should at least cameo in Avengers: Doomsday to explain what happened to the happy family after Love & Thunder. Still, there’s no confirmation India Rose Hemsworth will reprise her role as the young warrior in the MCU.

[RELATED: Did Marvel Studios Just Spoil Thunderbolts* In A Big Way?!]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever serves both as Shuri’s (Letitia Wright) journey in accepting the Black Panther mantle and the introduction of Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), the leader of the underwater kingdom Talokan. With both characters confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, Wakanda Forever is essential to understanding the complex geopolitical position Wakanda now occupies in the MCU, due to Shuri choosing to protect Namor’s secret kingdom and prevent global war.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Though Doctor Doom has been confirmed as the primary antagonist of Avengers: Doomsday, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s exploration of the Quantum Realm and the Council of Kangs provides essential background on how the multiverse operates in the MCU. In addition, Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) confirmed appearance in Doomsday makes this film required viewing to understand his character evolution and knowledge of multiversal threats. Finally, with Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) no longer playing the role of the big baddie in the Multiversal Saga, Quantumania gives fans some closure on the villain’s storyline, showing what happens to the supposedly most dangerous variant of the villain.

The Marvels

The Marvels‘ post-credits scene directly sets up Fox’s X-Men integration into the MCU, showing Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) awakening in what appears to be the X-Mansion from Fox’s films, greeted by Beast (Kelsey Grammer). This pivotal scene establishes the bridge between the MCU and the Fox universe, providing the narrative mechanism for the X-Men characters’ appearances in Avengers: Doomsday. Surprisingly, though, Paris has not been confirmed as part of Avengers: Doomsday. Still, given the importance of her character for the Multiversal Saga overarching plot, she might be one of the additional cast members Marvel Studios has yet to announce.

Loki Seasons 1 & 2

Loki delves deeper into the mechanics of the multiverse, following Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as he navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous series of timelines. The series concludes with Loki becoming the new “god of stories,” taking on the responsibility of holding together the branching timelines of the multiverse, a position that makes him uniquely situated to understand the incursion threats in Doomsday. Tom Hiddleston’s confirmed appearance in Avengers 5 suggests Loki’s godly role will be crucial in addressing the multiversal crisis.

Deadpool & Wolverine

The R-rated MCU debut of the Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) showcases how Fox’s X-Men universe can coexist with the main MCU timeline. When Wade Wilson’s universe faces an existential threat, he teams up with a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to save it, encountering numerous Fox-universe characters. Among these unexpected allies is Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who is officially returning for Avengers: Doomsday. Due to Tatum’s participation in the upcoming crossover and how Deadpool & Wolverine explore the existence of multiple timelines, the movie is vital before Avengers: Doomsday.

Captain America: Brave New World

Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) first solo film as Captain America directly sets up the incursion storyline that will drive Avengers: Doomsday with a post-credits scene featuring Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson). The film also introduces adamantium to the MCU, positioning the metal as a rival to vibranium and introducing geopolitical tensions that will complicate Wakanda’s global relationships. Finally, with Sam confirmed to be assembling a new Avengers team in Brave New World, this film serves as the direct narrative precursor to Doomsday.

Thunderbolts*

Marvel Studios has confirmed that Thunderbolts* will lead directly into Avengers: Doomsday, with several team members confirmed to appear in the crossover event, including David Harbour as the Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell as the U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Lewis Pullman as Bob aka Sentry, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. Thunderbolts* promises to establish how these morally complex characters interact and operate as a team, potentially setting up a rivalry with Sam Wilson’s newly formed Avengers.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel’s First Family will make their MCU debut less than a year before Avengers: Doomsday, with the entire team confirmed to appear in the crossover. The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces the cosmic threat of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), but the story is seemingly set in a different timeline altogether. When The Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres, fans can expect it to explain how the First Family will end in the Sacred Timeline or how incursions will lead the Fantastic Four to be yet another team of heroes trying to save the multiverse from Doctor Doom.

What other characters do you think will appear in Avengers: Doomsday? Which other project will become important as new plot details emerge? Share your thoughts in the comments!