5 Marvel Shows to Watch Before Avengers Doomsday

Several months ago, I did a blog post about pre-Endgame movies to watch before Avengers Doomsday. Especially with the recent Doomsday trailers, I thought it a good time to revisit some more Marvel projects to rewatch before the big day. One thing the post-Endgame saga did was canonized television series on Disney Plus. Say what you will about the inter-workings of movies and series, but I’ve enjoyed it. (Though I'm still waiting for them to officially canonize SHIELD)

WandaVision

In the midst of the pandemic, this was our saving grace for nine episodes. It was definitely an amazing way to begin the Multiverse Saga. Remember all the theories and anticipation, watching for Mephisto and Agatha? While Wanda isn't confirmed to be in Doomsday (or alive for that matter) this was our first look at grief during early post-Blip life. A lot of mysteries have been answered from this series, but there are still plenty of question marks, including Wanda's boys and White Vision.         

Extra Credit - The Marvels

Say what you will about this movie (and it making Carol Denvers into a Disney princess) but there's one big thing from this movie to address leading into Doomsday: The X-Men. After getting her superpowers in WandaVision and teaming up with the Marvels in this movie, Monica ended up thrown into another corner of the multiverse where she met Beast and Binary from the X-Men universe. Plus I swear I'm one of the few people who wants to see Ms. Marvel back.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 

A number of mixed emotions during this series but I think we were all happy to have this adventure during the pandemic. I'm not sure it was the best received Marvel project, especially after the energy surrounding WandaVision (that was a hard act to follow). It was an emotional adventure transitioning Sam Wilson from the Falcon to being Captain America, but it also introduced our new Falcon, US Agent, and of course Val.

Extra Credit - Captain America: Brave New World

If you went straight from Falcon and the Winter Soldier and straight past this movie on your way to Doomsday, you'd probably be alright. There's no indication that Red Hulk or Sterns will play a part in the next Avengers movie. That being said, this movie serves to further establish Sam's role as Captain America and Joaquin's role as Falcon (I had honestly forgotten there was a new Falcon).

Loki

We can't have a multiverse movie without addressing the Loki who triggered the multiverse. After this variant escaped in Endgame, there was humbling to happen and some Kangs to be discovered. If it weren't for this Loki, we wouldn't have the X-Men universe, What If, Tobey's Spider-Man, or any of the parallel worlds. Last we saw of Loki, he was woven into the fabric of the multiverse, so I'm curious what his role will be in Doomsday.

Extra Credit - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

This movie was underwhelming for many people (especially since the Kang storyline was scrapped). However, it attempted to connect the threads of our Avengers to the big bad of Loki. I'm curious what would've happened with this movie and Loki if Kang Dynasty were still happening. I heard rumors we'll see something of Kang being taken care of off-screen in Doomsday, but we'll see.

Hawkeye

On the grand scale of things, this show probably won't have much impact on the events of Doomsday (especially since Jeremy Renner isn't confirmed to appear). However, it does feature Yelena, previously seen in Black Widow, who would become a major player in Thunderbolts. Plus, I also just adore her character interacting with Kate Bishop. 

Extra Credit - Black Widow

Like Hawkeye, this movie doesn't look like it will have direct impact on Doomsday. That being said, this movie introduced the aforementioned Yelena and her adopted father. Both these powerhouses (Red Guardian for his strength and Yelena for her wit) reappeared in Thunderbolts. It's hard for me to decide if this movie or Hawkeye are more crucial.

 

What If...?

Slim chance of any of these characters appearing in Doomsday (except perhaps a variant of Captain Carter), but this hit series gave us a glimpse of what a multiversal epic could be. Three seasons and three epic finales. I think it would be a shame to let this series fade into obscurity, despite the release of Marvel Zombies, so I'd love to see Kahhori or the Hydra Stomper again.

Extra Credit - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

If we're going into a multiverse grand finale, we ought to include the epic (and horrific) journey that Doctor Strange took across the worlds. This movie isn't exactly what I'd envisioned from a multiverse hopping story, but it was the first (aside from Loki) so it would be a fun (and traumatic) one to revisit.

I'm sure there are plenty of other movies and series to revisit before the epic crossover of the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. In a few months I plan to highlight a few more post-Endgame movies. I have my list already and I probably won't finish it (especially as more and more cast members are revealed). I appreciate all that the MCU has done for superhero movies and, despite what vocal internet people say, it's not dead and I can't wait to see it continue to grow and evolve.

What We Know About the MCU Post-SDCC (TV Shows)

Last week I checked in with updates on the MCU news Post-San Diego Comic Con for the movies. We also got a chunk of news/release dates for some upcoming Disney+ MCU shows. With the release of Jessica Jones Season 3, the Marvel Netflix shows have officially ended, leaving us now with Disney+, Hulu, and (for one more year) ABC as our MCU TV Show distributors. So let's see where we're at.

Runaways Season 3 (December 13, 2019 on Hulu)
Last we saw the Runaways, they were all split up. So were the parents. Alex, Nico, Molly, and Leslie were last seen at the Hostel. Karolina, Chase, and Janet were captive by the Magistrate's family (currently possessing Victor, Stacey, and Tina). Gert is captive by her father Dale. We haven't really heard much about where we'll be taken during Season 3, but I think it's pretty safe to assume that we'll pick up right after Season 2. That means the whole of the series will take plenty of time before the Snap. The only thing we really know that's coming up is the introduction of Morgan le Fay, a sorceress from the Dark Realm. She's fought the Avengers in the comics, but it'll be interesting see how she approaches "Runaways".

Ghost Rider (2020 on Hulu)
We don't know much about "Ghost Rider" yet except that we have the same Robbie Reyes coming back to star in this Hulu series. It'll be interesting to see where they take this show. We last saw Robbie/Ghost Rider at the defeat of AIDA in 2017. So presumably at least 3 years will have passed. However, which timeline will he be in? Agents of SHIELD has deviated from the MCU Timeline, so will he be in that timeline or will this series be before/during/after the Snap? More details to come, I hope.

Helstrom (2020 on Hulu)
This series was announced around the same time as Ghost Rider. However, we don't know much yet. Daimon and Ana Helstrom will appear. They're the children of a mysteriosu serial killer. Their father in the comics was Satan, so it'll be interesting how they swing that in the live action. Being half-demon hybrids (according to the comics), I'm curious what'll happen. Like with "Ghost Rider" we'll have to see what happens with "Helstrom".

Agents of SHIELD Season 7 (Summer 2020 on ABC/Hulu)
Since Season 6 has yet to complete, it's unknown what's going to happen with Season 7. However, we know that they're done filming. Because of how they've filmed it, I've wondered if it's going to be more like two halves of a season, instead of two separate seasons. Presumably the main cast of Season 6 will all return. But with the last couple episodes still yet to aire, we could stil have some fatalities for all we know. I think at this point it's pretty safe to say that we won't have any MCU crossovers in the last season.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Fall 2020 on Disney+)
This six-episode series will be the first of the Marvel series on Disney+. It seems like these series will play more into the movies than previous TV series have, so it'll be interesting to see how that happens. Currently we know that Sam/Falcon/New Cap and Bucky/Winter Soldier are returning as obvious series regulars. Helmut Zemo (last seen in custody in "Civil War") seems to be returning as the show's villain. We also have it confirmed that Sharon Carter will return (last seen in "Civil War"). Since this show is reportedly going to take place after "Endgame" we can expect to see Sam dealing with the Captain America mantle being transferred on to him and how that impacts him.

WandaVision (Spring 2021 on Disney+)
We don't know much of what's going on yet with WandaVision. I've seen differing reports on whether it'll take place before or after Infinity War. If current reports are correct and this takes place after Endgame we must be in for some sort of craziness. With Vision dead and Wanda resurrected in the Blip, who knows what'll happen. In the comics, Scarlet Witch used her powers to "create" children for her and Vision. So is that what she's going to do for Vision? Is she going to "resurrect" him using her powers? It could be an interesting take on the grieving process for Wanda. The only other thing we know is that Monica Rambeau, last seen as a child in Captain Marvel will appear. Since they've recasted her it would make sense that she'll appear primarily in the present day. Also, since Scarlet Witch is set to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this series (or at least season one) will act as a prequel of sorts to the movie.

Loki (Spring 2021 on Disney+)
Not much is known yet about the Loki series. In the main timeline, Loki is dead, as of 2018. However, this series will reportedly take place in an alternate timeline, after Loki stole the Tesseract during the Time Heist of "Endgame". This was the villainous version of Loki though, instead of the anti-hero from "Ragnarok" and "Infinity War". So that leaves me with a lot of questions about how the series will proceed.

What If...? (Summer 2021)
The "What If" comics are ones I'd never heard of before. Basically, as the name implies, it follows the idea of "what if" certain events had unfolded in the Marvel universe. As the other Disney+ series will tie into the movies, I'm curious how they'll make this one relevant. Will more time travel be involved? Or will it be a stand-alone series that doesn't make an impact on the others and is just for fun? Regardless, we have confirmation that many MCU characters (25 that were listed on the MCU wiki) will return. The ones I found most interesting were Thanos, Dum Dum Dugan, Jane Foster, and the Grandmaster.

Hawkeye (Fall 2021)
Last we saw Clint Barton/Hawkeye, he was back on the family ranch. Who knows where we'll head next with this show, but it's been reported that this series will take place after "Endgame". I heard rumors that it'll explore Clint's time during the Blip, acting as Ronin, but I guess we'll see. We do have reports of Kate Bishop being introduced. In the comics, she worked alongside Clint, both using the name Hawkeye. So we'll see.

Cloak & Dagger Season 3 (??? on Freeform/Hulu)
We haven't had confirmation that "Cloak & Dagger" will be back, but we also haven't heard word that it's been cancelled. Last we saw, Tandy/Dagger and Tyrone/Cloak were on a bus, presumably heading out of New Orleans. This could be our one continuation of the Netflix show, as we've seen Newspaper clippings of Luke Cage and Brigid alluded to previously working with Misty Knight in New York. But I guess this is another one that we'll just have to wait for more news.

I think I caught all the pending MCU shows. Which one are you looking forward to the most? I'm really curious how the Disney+ series will pan out. Will they make it supplemental to the movies or will they make me watch them to understand what's going on in the movies? That would bug me. But I guess I don't have to decide for another year anyway.