Missing Pieces? Three Marvel Movies Notably Absent From Disney’s “Doomsday” Watchlist
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The Multiverse is about to collide! On December 18, Marvel Studios unleashes Avengers: Doomsday, potentially its biggest film yet. While plot specifics are tightly guarded, it’s clear that multiple realities will clash, leading to widespread destruction. The main MCU (Earth-616) seems poised to collide with the universe of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and a version of Fox’s X-Men universe, finally bringing comic-accurate costumes to life.
Building Blocks: What Disney Wants You To Watch
To prepare viewers for this epic event, Disney Plus released an official watchlist featuring a broad selection of Marvel movies, some dating back before the MCU’s inception. This includes titles like “X-Men,” “X2,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “The Avengers,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Loki,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Thunderbolts”, and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
While understandable omissions exist to avoid spoilers, some notable absences raise questions. Let’s examine three films conspicuously missing from this essential viewing list.
Captain America: Civil War – The Avengers Fracture
The fallout of Sokovia: “Captain America: Civil War” irrevocably changed the landscape of the MCU.
The watchlist jumps from 2012’s “The Avengers” directly to “Avengers: Infinity War,” skipping a crucial chapter: “Captain America: Civil War.” While “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is an understandable omission, even with Tony Stark’s iconic “suit of armor around the world” line (which doesn’t significantly alter the overall narrative), “Captain America: Civil War” fundamentally reshapes the Avengers. This film marks the devastating breakup of the team and explains their scattered state leading into “Infinity War.” Without “Civil War,” new viewers will be lost, and even seasoned fans will struggle to understand the fractured dynamic between Captain America and Iron Man.
The omission likely stems from an attempt to avoid overwhelming fans with too many titles. However, “Civil War” is a pivotal point in the MCU’s narrative, and its absence is a significant oversight.
The Marvels – A Missed Opportunity?
Can Monica Rambeau bridge dimensions? The fate of “The Marvels” hangs in the balance within the larger multiverse.
Brie Larson’s confirmed appearance in “Avengers: Doomsday” is still unconfirmed, raising questions about the inclusion of Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). However, the post-credits scene in “The Marvels,” where Monica Rambeau encounters Kelsey Grammer’s Beast in another dimension, makes its omission perplexing. If Rambeau isn’s in that X-Men dimension featured in Doomsday, it will raise questions about her whereabouts. Conversely, if she is present, viewers unfamiliar with “The Marvels” will be confused about her identity and role.
Two potential reasons explain this absence: first, Marvel Studios might be intentionally concealing the appearance of these heroes; second, Disney Plus may have sought to minimize the inclusion of less successful films on the watchlist. “The Marvels,” unfortunately, stands as the MCU’s biggest financial disappointment, costing $374 million and grossing only $207 million. While personally enjoyable, its poor performance undoubtedly influenced this decision.
X-Men: The Last Stand – A Necessary Evil?
The controversial ending of “X-Men: The Last Stand” leaves a legacy that echoes into the future multiverse.
Another Fox X-Men film conspicuously absent is “X-Men: The Last Stand.” While widely considered inferior to its predecessors, it introduces Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, who will likely play a role in “Avengers: Doomsday.” His inclusion in marketing materials suggests his importance. Furthermore, the post-credits scene in “The Marvels” strongly implies a connection between Rambeau and Grammer’s character.
While some might argue that the deaths of Cyclops and Professor X, along with Magneto’s de-powering, make this film irrelevant, including “Days of Future Past” would rectify these inconsistencies. However, the more likely reason for its omission is its reputation as a less-than-stellar entry in the X-Men franchise. Nevertheless, it’s arguably superior to “Captain America: Brave New World,” which is on the list.
“Avengers: Doomsday” arrives in theaters on December 18. Prepare accordingly!
Source: Polygon
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