On the day of the theatrical release of The Marvels, Disney advised fans to watch these five movies and shows to stay caught up with the MCU.
It was a questionable strategy when, even before the release of the Captain Marvel sequel, one of the leading concerns from audiences was the Disney+ shows being required viewing — an even greater concern after Secret Invasion whiffed it with critics and fans.
It's an understandable concern when two of the lead actresses in The Marvels come from two separate Disney+ shows. It doesn't help that the last of the marketing for the sequel suggested Thanos had a nugget of importance.
In retrospect, since the film's release in theaters, many of these movies and shows from Phase 4 and Phase 5 might not be the required viewing Disney believed them to be.
What to Watch Before Seeing The Marvels
D23's official website shared a list of two movies and three TV shows for fans to watch before seeing The Marvels in theaters.
Captain Marvel
Initially teased in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel starred Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, who by the end of the movie declared war on Hala, the homeworld of the Kree, and by extension, the Supreme Intelligence.
It also introduced Carol's pet Flerken, Goose, along with Maria and Monica Rambeau, the latter of whom was the daughter of Maria, Carol's best friend before the Kree erased her memories.
Avengers: Endgame
In the five-year time skip in Avengers: Endgame, it's established that Captain Marvel had been out in the galaxy helping multiple planets affected by Thanos' decimation of the universe's population. It also showed Carol working alongside other superheroes for the first time, including Valkyrie.
Although marketing for The Marvels pointed to Thanos being relevant to the villain's motives, that wasn't the case.
Wandavision - Disney+
Marvel Studios' first Disney+ show, WandaVision, reintroduced Monica Rambeau to audiences as an adult played by Teyonah Parris. In her pursuit to help Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and free the town of Westview, Rambeau has to unpack her trauma revolving around the death of her mother.
After forcing her way through Wanda's Hex, she gained the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum. After helping free the town, Rambeau was quickly recruited by a Skrull for a mission out in space for SABER.
Ms. Marvel - Disney+
Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, a Muslim teenager aspiring to be like her idol, Captain Marvel, was introduced in the Disney+ show Ms. Marvel. After being gifted her grandmother's bangle, Kamala gained hard-light powers from them and learned they could open portals to other worlds.
Not to mention that the ending of her show directly leads into the events of The Marvels with her switching places with Carol Danvers.
Secret Invasion - Disney+
Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, whose origin was shown in Captain Marvel, managed to have his adventure in the Disney+ limited series Secret Invasion, with him stopping a Skrull invasion of Earth.
The series also revealed that unbeknownst to Fury and the audience, over a million Skrulls had made their home on Earth, with the rest scattered across the galaxy and on a planet called Tarnax, led by Emperor Dro'ge.
BONUS: Hawkeye - Disney+
It's funny that Hawkeye is more required viewing than Secret Invasion due to the final moments of The Marvels marking the movie debut of one particular character from that series.
The Marvels is currently playing in theaters now.
