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10 Essential Movies to Watch Before Avengers: Endgame

Are you not really a Marvel fan, but you hear your friends talking about it? I get it. You don’t have time to invest in watching all the Marvel movies in order. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are two of the best MCU movies of all-time. Here are 10 movies to watch before Avengers: Endgame to understand what’s going in. 

Perfect Marvel Movies Order Before Endgame - Iron Man stuck in space.

10 Essential Marvel Movies to Watch Before Avengers: Endgame

So, let’s say you just want to have some kind of idea of what’s going on in Avengers: Endgame, but you are short on time. You’re a new fan or you just want to hang with your friends who are fans. These are the first Marvel movies I would watch if you want a shorter list to start with.

After watching Avengers: Endgame, my list of what Marvel movies you have to watch before Endgame has changed a little bit. There are at least 10 Marvel movies you should see.

If you want to know most of the characters you’ll see in Avengers: Endgame, then watching the Avengers movies in order -The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Avengers: Infinity War would be a good idea. But I’m leaving one out just for plot purposes.

Doctor Strange is a bit trippy, but he plays such a crucial role in Avengers:Infinity War that I think you should watch it to understand time travel. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. also introduces a couple of new characters, but I’ll leave it out of the necessary Marvel movies list for now.

Included on the extra credit list are also Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok. But if you have time, you should also watch them!

Iron Man

The movie that started it all.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Here you’ll find Captain America’s origin story, which is important, plus see some more information about SHIELD, and Howard Stark.

Captain Marvel

Chronologically, this comes after Captain America: The First Avenger. It’ll also tie up some Nick Fury ends for you.

The Avengers

This Marvel movie is essential to watching before you see Avengers: Endgame. It introduces you to most of  The Avengers, but most importantly, the original 6 Avengers. 

Thor: The Dark World

Normally, this isn’t my favorite Marvel movie, but it’ll explain some things in Avengers: Endgame.

Guardians of The Galaxy

This is crucial to being introduced to the characters from these films, plus a look at Thanos and his relationship with Gamora.

Movies to watch before Avengers Endgame

Captain America: Civil War

Since you meet some of the crucial characters before Avengers: Infinity War like Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and Black Panther, I’m leaving out their individual films from this essential Marvel movies list in order.

Doctor Strange

Perhaps a little strange for this list, but as newcomer, I would want to see Doctor Strange before Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It’s not the most action-packed, but it’s still important.

Avengers: Infinity War

If nothing else, please at least watch Avengers: Infinity War. Please, for the love, I’m begging you. I don’t know how many texts I got from friends who hadn’t watch one single Marvel movie before Avengers: Endgame.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

This one I’m including for the explanation of the Quantum Realm. You’ve seen the Avengers’ awesome Quantum Suits in the trailer, right?

Good luck in your movie watching. Whatever it takes.