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3 Marvel Movies Definitely Missing From Disney’s Official ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Watchlist
Disney released a curated watchlist ahead of Avengers: Doomsday to prepare audiences for the December 18 film's multiversal collision storyline. The list draws from multiple eras of Marvel cinema, spanning classic X-Men films alongside recent MCU instalments including Wakanda Forever and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Despite appearing comprehensive, the watchlist excludes films with direct narrative bearing on Doomsday's plot. Captain America: Civil War is notably absent, yet it establishes the fractured state of the Avengers that persists into Infinity War—skipping it creates an unexplained jump from the original Avengers film to its 2018 sequel. The Marvels is similarly omitted despite its closing scene linking Monica Rambeau to the X-Men dimension expected to feature prominently in Doomsday, potentially leaving uninitiated viewers confused about character placement. The omissions likely reflect an effort to reduce viewing volume rather than plot necessity.
In short
- Disney released an official Avengers: Doomsday watchlist, but omits Captain America: Civil War and The Marvels despite their narrative significance to the upcoming film
- Civil War explains why the Avengers are fractured before Infinity War; The Marvels sets up Monica Rambeau's placement in the X-Men dimension featured in Doomsday
- Omissions likely reflect content-volume constraints rather than plot irrelevance
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The watchlist is misleading because it omits films with direct narrative relevance to Doomsday's plot. Captain America: Civil War is essential for understanding the fractured state of the Avengers that persists into the story, whilst The Marvels directly establishes Monica Rambeau's connection to the X-Men dimension expected to feature prominently. Excluding these creates confusion for viewers attempting to prepare adequately, suggesting Disney prioritised convenience over accurate curation.
The case against
A curated watchlist must be selective to remain useful; including every tangentially relevant film would overwhelm audiences and defeat the purpose of streamlined preparation. Disney can reasonably assume viewers are familiar with core Avengers instalments and focus instead on connecting less familiar properties. A more limited list serves audiences with finite time better, and businesses are legitimately entitled to balance viewer preparation with practical constraints rather than provide an exhaustive checklist.
Explained simply
The Avengers are a team of superheroes in Marvel films, while the X-Men are a separate group of characters whose stories began in another series of films. Marvel’s more recent films connect these characters through a “multiverse”: a term for different versions of reality that can intersect.
Avengers: Doomsday is due for release on 18 December and is expected to bring characters from these different stories together. Earlier films establish how the Avengers’ relationships changed and how some characters became connected to other realities, giving viewers context for the story.
Disney’s watchlist draws on several eras of Marvel films, including X-Men stories and newer films such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It leaves out some films that also contain relevant background, so viewers may encounter characters or events without having seen every part of their story.
Avengers: Doomsday Entertainment Film