Marvel unveils Avengers: Doomsday watchlist, leaving out one unexpected character.

In June, directors Joe and Anthony Russo mentioned in an interview that their upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday, would be “starting over from scratch,” suggesting that viewers wouldn’t need to rely on past Marvel films. Essentially, they hinted that after Doomsday, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would revert to “phase zero,” implying no prior knowledge would be necessary.

However, this claim felt a bit off from the beginning, especially with several familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe confirmed to return, including Captain America (Chris Evans) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), along with X-Men legends Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen). Our skepticism was warranted, as Marvel has now shared an official watchlist for Doomsday on Disney Plus.

Here’s the complete list.

With nearly two decades of Marvel storytelling, it was a stretch to think you could dive into Doomsday without any background from previous MCU films. For instance, Evans reprising his role as Captain America after time-traveling to reunite with Peggy Carter is a significant plot point that requires understanding Rogers’ arc throughout the MCU.

At first glance, the watchlist seems logical, featuring films with confirmed characters like Loki, Shang-Chi, and The Fantastic Four. Yet, some notable omissions stand out. For instance, X-Men: Days of Future Past would be a fitting inclusion, given its exploration of time travel and alternate universes within the X-Men saga.

Another curious absence is the Iron Man series, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic billionaire superhero. With Downey Jr. set to return as Doctor Doom, the main antagonist in Doomsday, skipping the Iron Man films appears to be a strategic move by Marvel to sidestep questions about the similarities between Doom and Tony Stark. That is, if Doomsday even addresses that connection.

Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18, giving both new and returning fans ample time to catch up on these essential films and head into the cinema prepared for what’s to come.