7 Movies To Watch Before 'Avengers Endgame: Encore'

Published Sep 22, 2026, 3:19 PM EDT

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Before Avengers: Doomsday finally comes out this December, Marvel Studios has decided to do yet another re-release of Avengers: Endgame titled Avengers Endgame: Encore. With three minutes of Avengers: Doomsday content—only for IMAX and Infinity Vision viewers, for some weird reason, and only a small sneak peek for non-premium viewers—people are definitely popping out to see this project before the next big event film.

Avengers: Endgame premiered all the way back in 2019, meaning many audience members may not have seen it in quite a few years. With this in mind, there may be some catching up to do. So, before Avengers Endgame: Encore hits theaters, there are about seven movies that people should give a watch before re-experiencing this iconic project. These films are all important, entertaining, and a joy to return to before this new re-release of one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

'Iron Man' (2008)

Image via Marvel Studios

Iron Man is the one that started it all, giving Marvel Studios the confidence to keep moving forward with their movies and showing that heroes outside of Spider-Man could be a big success. It's impossible to say that one can watch the finale of the Infinity Saga of the MCU without watching the one that kickstarted it. With Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) being one of the leading men of Avengers: Endgame, seeing his origin is quite important.

Not to mention, when Stark makes his final stand in the big climax, he makes a direct reference to the big ending of the MCU's debut. Being the major sendoff for the one and only Armored Avenger, it's pretty dang essential to make sure one remembers the Iron Man plot, so the events of Avengers Endgame: Encore can hit even harder. It's also a great experience to go from the very beginning of an 11-year character arc, all the way to the end, seeing just how far a character as flawed as Tony Stark has come.

'The Avengers' (2012)

Image via Marvel Studios

The first time The Avengers came together in 2012 proved not only to Marvel Studios, but to audiences, that a cinematic universe like the MCU could actually work. Avengers: Endgame acts as the sendoff for almost the entire original team of Avengers, so it only makes sense that one would need to watch their first bout in The Avengers before seeing them part again in their encore. Given how much of Avengers: Endgame focuses on these original six Avengers, as they're some of the only heroes left on the planet post-Snap.

The Avengers also sets the standard for what a good Avengers adventure should look like moving forward. It was the perfect starting point to this series, and, at the end of the day, it'd feel wrong to watch the upcoming film without seeing where they all came together in the first place. Origins are important, and this 2012 blockbuster is the iconic beginning of these heroes' story together. It's nostalgic to see this group of extraordinary people become Earth's Mightiest Heroes before almost all of them leave in Avengers: Endgame.

'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)

Image via Marvel Studios

While it may be a movie in The Avengers franchise, the space-based Marvel team known as the Guardians of the Galaxy is absolutely crucial to the story, given their connection to Thanos (Josh Brolin). To really understand the connection between the team and the main villain, fans need to revisit the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy, which acts as a set-up not just for the group, but for the connection between Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), and Thanos.

Guardians of the Galaxy is also hilarious, and always worth a rewatch—one of the most rewatchable MCU movies, easily. James Gunn's vision for the Guardians is excellent and does an incredible job setting up what's needed for the space-side of the MCU, while making a simply great movie. Before this one, audiences had never really gotten the chance to explore the space side of this already expansive cinematic universe, so it's clear why Guardians of the Galaxy is so important. It's hard to beat this movie, so not only is it essential to see this movie before Avengers Endgame: Encore, but it's just a great flick to return to, period.

Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap

Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

🕷️Spider-Man

😈Daredevil

🤖Iron Man

💀Punisher

⚡Thor

🛡️Cap

FIND YOUR HERO →

01

What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think.

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.

AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

NEXT QUESTION →

09

What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.

AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

NEXT QUESTION →

10

The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over.

REVEAL MY HERO →

Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…

Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

🕷️ Spider-Man

You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

• You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will.
• You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you.
• Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
• Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

😈 Daredevil

You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.

• You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
• You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
• Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
• Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.

🤖 Iron Man

Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.

• You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
• You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
• Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
• You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man.

💀 The Punisher

You've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.

• You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude.
• You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
• Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
• Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.

⚡ Thor

Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.

• You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
• You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
• Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
• You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

🛡️ Captain America

You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.

• You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
• Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
• Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost.
• In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)

Image via Marvel Studios

The sequel to The Avengers had a lot to live up to after the mass success of the first movie. Such a high bar put a lot of pressure on Joss Whedon, and while it didn't do great things for Avengers: Age of Ultron, the movie didn't end up being terrible, per se. However, the sequel did struggle quite a bit with the meddling for future setup for things like the Infinity Stones. While it's still an entertaining movie, Age of Ultron struggles with an overstuffed plot. Who could forget the completely unnecessary scene of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) getting visions in the pool?

This, however, does lead to Avengers: Age of Ultron being far more essential to Avengers: Endgame. The exposition of the Infinity Stones is important, as well as the introduction of Vision (Paul Bettany). Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are also incredibly important for the Infinity Saga finale. Vision and Wanda are both vital to the end of the Infinity Saga. Wanda's story up until the finale leads to her having an absolute bloodlust for Thanos, leading to her almost killing him on the last battlefield. Not to forget, Vision is the reason that the original Thanos—not the one from the past—got the Mind Stone in the first place and had the chance to snap the universe out of existence to make Avengers: Endgame possible.

'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)

Image via Marvel Studios

Often considered an "Avengers 2.5," Captain America: Civil War is a huge moment in the MCU timeline. Its consequenceswere a major factor in The Avengers losing to Thanos, leading directly to Avengers: Endgame. The events were also patched up and led to some strong full-circle moments within the iconic 2019 project, being the first time the likes of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) see each other since the end of this third Captain America journey.

Captain America: Civil War also introduces two big MCU characters that return in Avengers: Endgame: Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). There is so much important content within this trilogy-capper—leading to the "Avengers 2.5" claims—and seeing it makes this entry in The Avengers franchise all the more satisfying. The war between the Avengers present on Earth is intense, filled with tension, and has a plethora of interpersonal drama.

'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

Image via Marvel Studios

To say one should see Avengers Endgame: Encore without watching Avengers: Infinity War is an absolute disservice to the story of both films as a whole. At the end of the day, these two movies are a two-part story that needs to be consumed as one experience. The only reason Avengers: Endgame happens is the direct ramifications of the 2018 war for the Infinity Stones. Avengers: Infinity War is also commonly considered the best Avengers film, thanks to how stellar the execution of it is.

Directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo came together to juggle a huge handful of characters at once—each getting their own time to shine at some point, multiple stories running simultaneously, and spectacle-filled action sequences. Somehow, they managed to do all of this with prowess, while keeping Thanos as the main protagonist, pushing the story forward and weaving the plots together. This third Avengers movie is one of the best MCU projects to date, so it's not only a necessary watch for Avengers Endgame: Encore, but a very entertaining one, too.

'Captain Marvel' (2019)

Image via Marvel Studios

Despite not being the most beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe project, Captain Marvel is an important movie pre-Avengers Endgame: Encore because she kind of just... shows up. Without knowing Carol Danvers' (Brie Larson) connection to Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), her appearance in the 2019 hit feels very random. So, it's pretty important for audiences to remind themselves of her story before she slides into the battlefield.

She's the one who goes into space to find Tony Stark, Nebula, and Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), making her very important to the plot. Not to forget, in the final battle, she's the one who comes in at the final hour to save the heroes from Thanos' attack on the battlefield, single-handedly destroying his ship before going toe-to-toe with him in a mano-a-mano fight. So, while her screen time in the 2019 flick isn't long, she's still vital to the plot.

Captain Marvel