We are now 21 films deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the 22nd film—Avengers: Endgame—is the culmination of everything that’s come before. That’s a mighty exciting prospect to longtime fans of the MCU, but also a daunting one to people who maybe haven’t seen every Marvel Studios movie thus far. What to watch before Endgame is a hot button question. While the completionists would argue it’s essential to have seen all 21 films before heading intoAvengers: Endgame, not everybody has that kind of time, and to be honest, there are a handful of MCU movies that are fairly inessential. Beyond that, while there are some Marvel movies that are utterly delightful—likeThor: RagnarokandIron Man 3—they don’t seem to have much bearing on the plot ofEndgame, and thus could be skipped if need-be.
So given the enormity ofEndgame, we thought it might be helpful to put together a list of what to watch before Endgame in order to understand just what exactly is going on in theAvengerssequel. Again, ideally one would simply watch all 21 Marvel movies, but for those who just want to be able to enjoyAvengers 4without being confused, the below list is a “bare necessities” rundown. Behold, the 11 Marvel movies you need to see beforeAvengers: Endgame.
Iron Man(2008)
2008’sIron Manis where this all began, and it provides the foundation for everything that came after. While there’s likely not much that will be revisited plot-wise from theJon Favreau-directed film, it fully establishes the MCU’s “lead” Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and sets up the rules and tone of this universe that all subsequent films would follow. There’s also the possibility that therewillbe a nod or two to this film inEndgamegiven that theAvengerssequel is being billed as a “culmination.” And if Tony Stark does indeed bite the dust? Expect a callback to the film that started it all.
Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.
Captain America: The First Avenger(2011)
If Tony Stark is the “lead” of the MCU, then Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is the co-lead. So it’s probably best to experience the origin story of Captain America in the World War II-setCaptain America: The First Avenger. Most people seem to think Steve Rogers will die inEndgame, so experiencing the hero’s origin story will only make that exit more impactful. Plus, from a plot point of view,The First Avengeris where the Tesseract is a major plot point. This shiny box-like object has been the central MacGuffin of the MCU thus far, playing a major role inThe Avengers,Avengers: Infinity War, andCaptain Marvel, so it stands to reason it could prove important whenEndgamerolls around.
Marvel’s The Avengers(2012)
So if we’re skippingThorandIron Man 2, then 2012’sMarvel’s The Avengersserves as your perfect introduction to the rest of the main MCU heroes to get you primed and ready for what’s to come. Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Nick Fury, and Agent Coulson all come into focus inThe Avengers, and the film also depicts the first time the titular team had to assemble to save the Earth. And, again, the Tesseract plays a central role.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier(2014)
As time has worn on,Captain America:The Winter Soldierhas had less bearing on the plot of the MCU, but at the time of its release it was pretty major. It reveals that S.H.I.E.L.D.—the government agency that oversaw all of the Avengers’ movements—has been compromised since World War II and may or may not have been doing evil deeds around the globe. But on a character level,The Winter Soldierfurthers the development of Steve Rogers and offers more shading toScarlett Johansson’s Black Widow—two of the core members of The Avengers.
Thor: The Dark World(2013)
Yes, really. The less said about how this much-maligned sequel plays a role inEndgamethe better, but if you haven’t seen this one in a while or steered clear due to its reputation, it wouldn’t hurt to giveThor: The Dark Worlda spin. Hey, despite its problems, it still has a really fun third act set piece!
Guardians of the Galaxy(2014)
2014’sGuardians of the Galaxywas groundbreaking in many ways, and I don’t think we understood at the time just how significant the film would be to the future of the MCU. It introduced the cosmic side of the Marvel universe in a major way, revealing the various planets and alien beings who are fighting for good (or bad) at the same time that our heroes are protecting this little ol’ planet we call Earth. We also see inInfinity Warthat Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the adopted daughter of Thanos (Josh Brolin), plays a major role in the endgame of the MCU, andGuardians of the Galaxylays down the necessary emotional stakes to make the impact ofInfinity Warthat much stronger.
Avengers: Age of Ultron(2015)
Joss Whedon’s 2015 sequelAvengers: Age of Ultronis one of the more divisive entries in the MCU, but if we’re talking about homework prep forAvengers 4, it’s a fairly necessary installment. Not only does it further the character development of our core team, but it fleshes outJeremy Renner’s Hawkeye andMark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is a big way, introduces the supremely powerful Vision (Paul Bettany), and bringsElizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch into the fold. The Ultron of it all you can take or leave, but from a pure character perspective,Age of Ultronis pretty crucial.
Captain America: Civil War(2016)
So we skipped bothIron Mansequels but are including all theCaptain Americamovies. That’s because theAvengersfilms give Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark a great deal of screentime so you already get a strong sense of his character through those, and theCaptain Americasequels have been used to further the plot of the MCU in major ways. 2016’sCaptain America: Civil Warsets up the emotional stakes leading into the final twoAvengersfilms, as it explains why the Avengers team broke apart and allows you to understand how hard it’s going to be for the core team to reconcile inEndgame. This movie also introduces Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) into the mix since we’re skipping those individual films as non-essential from a plot perspective.
Avengers: Infinity War(2018)
Obviously. This is basically Part 1 toEndgame’s Part 2, so you really can’t skip this one.
Captain Marvel(2019)
The most recent MCU film,Captain Marvelproved to be far more essential to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than some may have expected. The film is set in the 90s, but it serves as a great showcase for Nick Fury while also unveiling the origin story for the most powerful character in the entire MCU:Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. It’s pretty clear that she’s going to be the missing piece that’s key to undoing Thanos’ destruction fromInfinity War, so experiencingCaptain Marvelwill give you a better understanding of what Carol’s all about, what her powers are, and where she’s been all this time.
