Every MCU Multiverse Saga Movie Ranked By How Important They Are For Avengers: Doomsday

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is nearing the end of its current storyline, the Multiverse Saga. The upcoming movie, Avengers: Doomsday, will kick off the final chapter, leading to Avengers: Secret Wars. While the planning hasn’t been as straightforward as with the previous saga (the Infinity Saga), Marvel Studios has been building this story around a new generation of heroes and a major villain: Doctor Doom.

Although the Marvel TV series on Disney+ contribute to the overall story, the movies will be primarily responsible for building towards the next big event. Now that a trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is expected soon, it’s a good time to review how Marvel has been preparing for this major finale.

Marvel Studios has released 14 films as part of the Multiverse Saga, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be the 15th and last one before a major, climactic event. But which of these movies are the most crucial for understanding the upcoming Avengers film? Here’s a look at the key ones.

15. Eternals

When Marvel released the film Eternals in 2021, many fans thought it would play a big role in future storylines. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely moved on without referencing the movie, except for a connection between a character from Eternals and the origin of adamantium.

Don’t expect to see any characters from the Eternals movie in Avengers: Doomsday. Their story seems to be heading in a more space-focused direction, rather than dealing with the multiverse. This means the two storylines aren’t currently connected, and even if adamantium is important to Doctor Doom’s plans, the history of the Celestials probably won’t come into play.

14. Black Widow

Even though Black Widow is a prequel focusing on Scarlett Johansson’s character, it still plays a role in the larger Multiverse Saga. The film introduces Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Red Guardian (David Harbour), who both go on to appear in Doomsday as members of the New Avengers.

Honestly, I don’t think Black Widow is really building towards a huge ‘Doomsday’ type event. It feels much more like it’s laying the groundwork for the Thunderbolts team we’ve been hearing about. While I don’t expect Yelena and Red Guardian’s stories from this movie to directly impact the main plot going forward, it’s still really cool to get some solid backstory and understand these characters better. It just feels like a setup for something different than a massive, world-ending threat.

13. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

When Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was released, it was expected to be a key movie in Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. But after changes were made to the saga’s plans, and with the issues surrounding Jonathan Majors, the film’s role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe became much less certain.

The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday won’t be affected by the Kangs from the recent films, and so far, Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man, is the only actor from Quantumania confirmed to be in it. Even if Ant-Man has a significant part, Marvel and the directors are unlikely to reveal much about the movie beyond continuing the idea of incursions – events where universes collide.

12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn concluded his impressive three-film run with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, successfully introducing a new team while the original Guardians went their separate ways. Unlike other Marvel movies, this one wasn’t designed to build towards future storylines, though Gunn did leave a few possibilities open.

We don’t know if any of the Guardians of the Galaxy will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film. Currently, none of the actors who play the Guardians are confirmed to be in it. If any do appear, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord seems most likely, as his character is already on Earth. This could be where he becomes the ‘Legendary Star-Lord’ we’ve heard about.

11. Spider-Man: Brand New Day

It’s hard to say how much Spider-Man: Brand New Day will impact Avengers: Doomsday without seeing it first. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man isn’t part of the film, and it appears to be a smaller-scale story focusing on characters like the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

Considering this film releases right before Avengers: Doomsday, it’s likely Marvel will use it to set up the next big event, perhaps with a scene after the credits. This possibility, along with the potential for this movie to further develop the Hulk’s story, places it comfortably in the middle of our rankings.

10. Thor: Love and Thunder

Now that Chris Hemsworth is back as Thor in Avengers: Doomsday, his next solo film is expected to be an important step towards a major story arc. And that’s true to some extent. Events in Thor: Love and Thunder, such as Thor getting Mjolnir back, will definitely be relevant in future films.

It seems that’s where the links between Love and Thunder and potential future events end. While Thor’s adopted daughter, Storm, might appear, she isn’t expected to have a significant role, and it’s not even certain she’ll be back. Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and the city of New Asgard could also have limited involvement, but they weren’t heavily featured in this film anyway.

9. Spider-Man: No Way Home

As a huge Marvel fan, I think Spider-Man: No Way Home might end up being a really crucial movie for the whole Multiverse Saga, especially looking ahead to Avengers: Secret Wars. Right now, though, it doesn’t seem like it’ll have a huge effect on what happens in Avengers: Doomsday. The biggest thing is, as far as we know, none of those Spider-Men – Peter Parker, Peter Parker, and Peter Parker – are set to come back. So, the focus really stays on the wider implications for the multiverse that the movie introduced.

Whether Doctor Doom’s plans involve invading the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), No Way Home might be seen as one of several events leading to a breakdown of the multiverse. It’s even possible the film drew Doom’s attention to the MCU’s protected timeline. If that turns out to be true, or if any of the Spider-Men from other universes appear, this prediction might not be accurate enough.

8. Captain America: Brave New World

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe builds towards the major events of Avengers: Doomsday, Captain America: Brave New World sets the stage for what’s coming. Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, has fully embraced his role as Captain America and is beginning to build a new team of Avengers, starting with Joaquín Torres’ Falcon, portrayed by Danny Ramirez.

The upcoming film, Doomsday, will feature Sam’s complete Avengers team collaborating, and the story shows his development as he learns to embrace his leadership role. The end of Brave New World hints at what’s to come in Doomsday, though the connection feels a bit forced.

As a big Marvel fan, I get why this movie feels a little all over the place. It’s the first one released after they decided to really center the next phase of the MCU around Doctor Doom, so it’s understandable that they’re throwing out clues and setting things up quickly – it feels a bit rushed, but makes sense in the bigger picture.

7. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

We might be underestimating how important Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be for the future of the Avengers. Since Simu Liu is returning as Shang-Chi, likely as part of the new Avengers team, it’s worth paying attention to his introduction and early interactions with other MCU heroes like Wong, Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner.

The mystery surrounding the Ten Rings seems to be connected to their power. The movie Shang-Chi hinted they could play a significant role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and some fans initially thought they might be related to Kang the Conqueror’s backstory. Now that Doctor Doom is becoming a central figure, it’s unclear if the Rings are part of his plans, but if they are, they could be crucial to the unfolding story leading to a major event.

6. The Marvels

If you plan on watching Avengers: Doomsday, it’s best to see The Marvels first. The sequel to Captain Marvel sets up key events for the next big Marvel movie. The ending of The Marvels is especially important, as it introduces a new universe and features a meeting between Monica Rambeau and Beast, along with the X-Men.

Okay, Marvel fans, get ready! I’m hearing that Grammar’s Beast – yes, that Beast – is officially returning for Doomsday, and he won’t be alone. Several other familiar faces from the old Fox X-Men movies are also joining the cast. Now, while Marvel isn’t saying it outright, it seems pretty clear they’re continuing the storyline and universe we first saw hinted at in The Marvels. And with Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau also expected to be involved, this is shaping up to be a huge setup for something really big. I’m already excited to see how they tie everything together!

2025-11-16 17:11