What to Rewatch Before Avengers: Doomsday? The Spider-Man Route in Three Formats

December is coming and the same question keeps coming up: where do you pick things up again before the screening? The recent release calendar has been busy, the continuity has thickened, and nobody fancies spending three weekends revising the lot. This guide sets out three routes depending on the time you have, separating what is genuinely necessary from what is simply nice to have — and carefully separating what is confirmed from what is not.

The date, and what the studio has confirmed

Avengers: Doomsday is out on 18 December 2026. The date has shifted several times during production, which is why old release dates still turn up in articles that were never updated: this one is the right one.

On the casting, you have to be precise, because that is where the loosest information circulates. The studio has released a list of around thirty actors. Tom Holland is not on it. That does not prove he is absent — the studio has kept castings secret before, and the No Way Home campaign is the most famous example — but any claim presenting his presence as a given is unfounded today. The question of the character's possible role is covered in detail in the analysis of where he stands against Doctor Doom.

The same caution applies to the rumour of the three actors reuniting: nothing has been confirmed by the studios, and the state of the evidence is reviewed in the article setting out what we really know. What can actually be seen, on the other hand, is solid: the first trailer has been broken down shot by shot, and it is the most reliable source available before release. In the meantime, the Spider-Man posters taken from the official artwork are still the best way to dress up the wait.

Express route: two films, one evening

If you only have one evening, rewatch No Way Home then Brand New Day. That is the bare minimum, and it is enough. The first brings the multiverse into this film universe and sets out the character's emotional state; the second, released at the end of July 2026, gives you where he stands now.

The order matters. Watching them in chronological order lets you measure what the character has lost between the two, which is the real subject of this period. The heaviest consequence of the first film is analysed in the study of the impossible choice he makes there, and its immediate fallout in the question of what MJ remembers.

For the second, if the film is still fresh in your mind, a refresher will do: the entry points are gathered in the guide to getting ready for Brand New Day. Two films, around five hours, and you are up to date on the Spider-Man line. The Spider-Man blankets and the Spider-Man mugs do the rest of the work for a December catch-up evening.

COLLECTIBLE FIGURES

Spider-Man Brand New Day Collectible Figure

The suit from the latest film is still the most recent in the line and the most sought-after for a display case. This piece captures its lines and its colour contrast in a display format that sits well alongside earlier versions of the character.

99.90 €

Discover →

Comfort route: the full Spider-Man line

If you want the character's whole arc in this universe, count on five films. Homecoming for the early days and the mentor relationship, then Far From Home for grief and manipulation, then No Way Home, then Brand New Day.

The fourth instalment deserves particular preparation, because it introduces several figures who could matter later on: the role of Jean Grey played by Sadie Sink, that of Bill Metzger and Damage Control, and the return of Scorpion, traced in the article on Michael Mando. These are the threads the next film can pick up.

Two useful extras, if time allows: the big team films that came before, for the group dynamic, and a refresher on the announced villain. His comics version is presented in the face-off between Spider-Man and Doctor Doom, and the page listing every film in the universe in chronological order lets you build your own route. The Spider-Man T-shirts and the Spider-Man caps with logos from the different eras go well with this sort of marathon.

What you do not need to rewatch

Let us be clear: rewatching the entire filmography adds nothing. The upcoming film is billed as a group story centred on one specific antagonist, not as the conclusion of a Spider-Man plot. The older entries with no direct link to the multiverse can wait.

A second possible saving: the Sam Raimi trilogy and the Andrew Garfield films are not prerequisites. They only become relevant if the rumour of the three actors is confirmed — and as nothing is confirmed, rewatching them is a pleasure, not preparation. The summary of the different incarnations is available in the inventory of every actor who has played the role.

Third point, often misunderstood: the animated films prepare you for nothing here. They belong to another line of productions, with other characters and other rules. A viewer who watches them thinking they are getting ready will waste their time — pleasantly, but waste it all the same. The Spider-Man figures from the two universes may well sit side by side on the same shelf, but the films themselves never cross paths.

PRINTS AND POSTERS

Spider-Man No Way Home Poster

The film that opened up the multiverse is still the turning point of this whole period. This print uses its main artwork in a standard format, easy to frame and to line up with other pieces from the same series.

22.90 €

Discover →

The villain: what to know before you walk into the cinema

The announced antagonist does not belong to the web-slinger's usual rogues' gallery, and that is precisely why a refresher is needed. On paper, this character is less a supervillain than a head of state: monarch, scientist and sorcerer, he acts out of calculation and pride rather than madness. None of the usual ways of reading Spider-Man's enemies applies to him.

The confrontation between the two characters has a history in the comics, and it is instructive: there has never been a personal rivalry between them, only encounters in which the cleverer of the two is not the one you would expect. That balance of power is detailed in the duel of minds between Spider-Man and Doctor Doom, and it gives a good idea of the register to expect.

A final word on the multiverse mechanics the film draws on. The rules vary from one production to the next, which explains a good part of the confusion among viewers, and the Marvel multiverse explained simply through Spider-Man is the quickest refresher available. Ten minutes of reading saves thirty minutes of bewilderment in the cinema. The Spider-Man stickers and the Spider-Man toys from the different eras actually give a fairly accurate visual sense of what 'multiverse' means here.

What is at stake afterwards: Secret Wars

Bear in mind that the December film is not an ending. A second instalment is planned for December 2027, and the overall architecture assumes that the first sets up a situation the second resolves. In practice, that means you should not expect a clean conclusion in December.

For the character we are concerned with, the theories about his role in that second instalment are developed in the analysis of his place in Secret Wars. Here again, caution is in order: no detailed cast has been announced for a film that far off, and everything circulating is speculation.

That outlook changes how you approach December. It is not about revising everything for a final exam, but about finding your footing before a first act. Hence the value of the express route: two films are enough to understand where the character is, and the rest can be caught up before next year. The page listing all the films and their versions of the character remains the reference for finding your way, and the Spider-Man phone cases with artwork from every era let you pick your side without breaking the bank.

The trap of out-of-date articles

A word on method, because it holds for this whole period. This film has changed date, shooting schedule and configuration several times. The result: a good part of what you read online dates from an earlier version of the project and was never corrected. Out-of-date release dates are the easiest to spot; obsolete cast lists much less so.

Three habits are enough to guard against this. Check the article's update date rather than its publication date. Be wary of any wording that presents a casting as settled without citing an official announcement. And always separate what comes from the studio from what comes from someone's reading of a trailer — the two look very much alike once they have been copied over three times.

This caution is not timidity: it is what separates useful preparation from a pile of guesses. The only certainties available today are the date of 18 December 2026, the list announced by the studio and the content of the trailer that has been released. Everything else awaits confirmation. The page listing the characters of the Spider-Man universe and the guides gathered on the guides and advice page stick to the same rule.

Organising your December screening

A mid-December release lands right in the middle of the festive season, which has two practical consequences. The screenings in the first few days fill up fast, and the event often turns into a group outing or a gift. Booking tickets one to two weeks in advance avoids nasty surprises.

For anyone taking children along, a useful reminder: the film is a group story with a dark antagonist, not a light-hearted adventure. The youngest will mostly latch on to the characters they recognise, which argues for watching at least one recent film beforehand. The Spider-Man fancy dress and costumes for children remain, as with every release, the simplest way to turn the screening into an event.

Finally, if the screening doubles as an excuse for a gift, the calendar is on your side: out a week before Christmas, so it lines up perfectly with the Christmas and Boxing Day rush. The guide to buying by budget and by profile drawn up for the previous release still holds, and the page devoted to merchandise covers the rest, from Spider-Man soft toys for the little ones to collector's pieces for adults.

BLANKETS AND COMFORT

Spider-Man Comics Blanket

Catching up on five to ten hours of films in December calls for a minimum of comfort. This blanket, printed with comic book panels, covers a whole sofa and is machine washable, which is no small thing after a full evening in front of the screen.

34.90 €

Discover →

What if the rumour of the three Spider-Men is confirmed?

In that case, and only in that case, the revision programme changes. You would then need to add at least one film from each of the two earlier series to get your bearings on those versions of the character — not all six, one of each is plenty to refresh your memory of the actors and their characteristics.

But let us insist, because this is the point on which the most false certainty circulates: none of this is confirmed. The connections come from readings of trailers, ambiguous statements and the memory of a previous campaign in which the official denials turned out to be untrue. These are clues, not announcements.

The practical advice fits on one line: prepare the express route, keep the older films in reserve, and decide in December once the last trailers are out. It is the least time-consuming strategy and the most robust, whatever the outcome. The Spider-Man figures of the three actors already exist side by side, which remains the only official reunion on record at this stage.

One last remark on the release rhythm. Five months separate Brand New Day from this film, which is short by the studio's standards and is good news for viewers: the memory of the last entry is still fresh, and the catching up required stays modest. The hardest stretches have always been the ones where two or three years separated two appearances of the character, forcing you to go back over everything. That is not the case here, and it is probably the best reason to stick to the express route rather than launching into a marathon nobody wins. The Spider-Man slippers will be more than enough kit for a two-film evening.

Frequently asked questions

When is Avengers: Doomsday released?

On 18 December 2026. The date was pushed back several times during production, which is why old release dates still circulate in articles that were never updated. The second instalment, Secret Wars, is expected in December 2027.

Is Spider-Man in Avengers: Doomsday?

It is not confirmed. Tom Holland does not appear on the list of around thirty actors announced by the studio. His absence from that list is not definitive proof, as castings have been kept secret before, but no official source confirms his presence as of today.

Do you need to have seen Brand New Day first?

It is strongly advised. This film gives the character's most recent situation and introduces several elements likely to be picked up again. With No Way Home, it makes up the bare minimum: two films, around five hours, and the essentials are covered.

Do the animated Spider-Verse films prepare you for Doomsday?

No, not at all. They belong to another line of productions, with other characters, other multiverse rules and other studios. Watching them is a pleasure in itself, but it adds nothing to your understanding of the December film.

Is Doomsday the end of the saga?

No. A second instalment, Secret Wars, is expected in December 2027, and the announced architecture assumes that the 2026 film sets up a situation the next one will resolve. So do not expect a clean conclusion in December, but rather a first act that leaves threads open.

How much time should you set aside to rewatch everything?

Around five hours for the express route of two films, about ten hours for the full Spider-Man line of four films, and a great deal more if you add the big team films. The express route is enough to follow the film without feeling lost.