Disney+ 'Avengers: Doomsday' Watch List Confirms A Tragic Fact For An Underrated Movie

Avengers: Doomsday (2026) has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated films of 2026, and with good reason. Another culmination of iconic characters from the many MCU movies and shows to face an ultimate evil is enough to get anyone excited, and Disney+ has a watch list ready to get you excited before the film hits theaters on December 18th.

But for the many films and shows on the list going as far back as X-Men (2000), one movie remains missing: The Marvels (2023). While the film didn't get the widespread acclaim it deserved, it still features many elements that tie directly to what's in Avengers: Doomsday.

'Avengers: Doomsday's Must-Watch List Features Many Important Projects

Disney+ has made a point of dropping lists of must-watch projects before the next big film, and Avengers: Doomsday is no exception. Aside from X-Men, X2: X-Men United (2003) was also included to capitalize on the returning X-Men characters. However, these were the only two X-Men films that were included in the list.

Loki (2021-2023) was also included, as the series that introduced the Multiverse, as well as some givens like Thunderbolts* (2025) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). But there were also strange outliers, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), which allude to Strange's journey and incursions as a whole.

With so many logical and unique projects added, it's hard not to notice The Marvels' absence, even though it features some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's strongest characters and a narrative that ties into faces we will see in Avengers: Doomsday. Of all the projects not included, it was an immediate standout, especially when its post-credits scene leaned into something massive for the audience.

Why Is 'The Marvels' Important To 'Avengers: Doomsday'?

The Marvels is a cosmic movie in the MCU that follows the adventures of Captain Marvel, Spectrum, and Ms. Marvel as they try to stop a rogue Kree outfit from destroying planets to fuel their own. We also see the true nature of Ms. Marvel's bangles, which are used to open portals into space-time.

The film ends with Monica Rambeau using her powers to stop a tear from forming into another reality, which would engulf their reality as well. It's the first time we've seen this since No Way Home, and it has a similar effect, looking like a rip in reality. When Monica closes the tear in herself, she awakens on another Earth, where Beast is there alongside Binary, who is Monica's mother, Maria.

These scenes explore a very important element in Avengers: Doomsday, especially the incursion effect shown. Realities bleeding into others is a key detail that terrifies the characters in this universe. Then, of course, there's the return of the X-Men. 

With Kelsey Grammer's Beast returning in Doomsday, we have to assume this is, or was, the same reality as the one in Doomsday, making Monica's presence feel like an important detail. Realistically, Carol Danvers or Kamala Khan could explain what's happening thanks to Monica and would be invaluable assets to the Avengers, so them not being there, nor Monica with the X-Men, feels strange.

Could 'Avengers: Doomsday' Still Utilize 'The Marvels'?

While The Marvels isn't mentioned as a must-watch entry before Avengers: Doomsday, that doesn't mean all hope is lost. In fact, there's still a light at the end of the tunnel that we may not fully see yet. For starters, there are many moving parts leading up to this film that we still don't know about, from other characters to story beats. Therefore, there's still hope Monica could appear, and we just haven't seen her yet.

In the same way they took out the Spider-Men from No Way Home in the trailers, Monica could be there, and we just don't notice. Considering how underpowered the teams are at the moment, it would be a saving grace to have such a powerhouse on the roster as is. 

Plus, with how much knowledge she has on incursions in ways only Reed Richards and Doom have, Spectrum is an invaluable character to be included. In the end, there's still so much we have to figure out before Doomsday hits theaters, but if Spectrum doesn't appear or is mentioned in some capacity, it would be a huge missed opportunity.