As Marvel begins to add not just one whole new world to its cinematic universe, but quite
literally endless worlds, tensions are high for the fans. But, if you are confused by the sentence that you just read, you may need to brush up on your Marvel knowledge before you see the new “Dr. Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness” movie, coming to theaters May 6.

In an interview with Marvel Entertainment, Sam Raimi, the director of “Dr. Strange: Into
the Multiverse of Madness,” discussed what to expect in the movie during a brief overview of the trailer. Raimi said the movie will include multiple universes, new characters, and variants of familiar characters. To have a better understanding of what this means and how it has come to be, here are the Marvel movies and series to watch in order to get caught up.

1. “Dr. Strange”

Without a doubt, the origin movie of the wizard that is Dr. Steven Strange is the most
pertinent piece to watch in light of the upcoming release. It gives purpose to his character, ensuring that the audience knows the realms of the power he holds, as well as introducing key characters in Dr. Strange’s plot. In order to understand the dawning of Dr. Strange and how he has gotten to the point he will be at in “Dr. Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness,” you must take a look at his past actions and mistakes.

2. “Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame”

The last two Avengers movies go hand in hand, as they were practically like a part one
and part two of one big movie. Dr. Strange plays a fairly large part in the movie, leading him to meet and fight the infamous Thanos alongside the Avengers. At this point, the Avengers have been looked at as the world’s heroes, but these two movies change the meaning of that as they enter into new worlds, primarily with the help of Dr. Strange. He brings abilities and powers that the Avengers have never seen before, allowing for some pretty cool tricks. This movie could be viewed as the beginning of the big arch story for Dr. Strange. Most definitely, a necessity to see.

3. “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

This movie is the most recently released of all the movies and series featured on this list,
and it also birthed the main plot of the story, as far as we know now. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has a plot that quite honestly could have been avoided. In a Looper video, it is discussed how Spider-Man and Dr. Strange’s tampering with the universe in the recent movie ultimately created the perfect reason to release a sequel to Dr. Strange’s first movie. After “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” a sequel to Dr. Strange is inevitable because the two wrecked and wreaked havoc on themselves equally with their tampering of time and reality.

4. “WandaVision” (Disney Plus Series)

The other key character that we will see in “Dr. Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness” is Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as the Scarlet Witch. “WandaVision” was the first of many Disney Plus series that Marvel fans devoured. This series was somewhat startling as it shows a darker side of one of the Avengers’ sweethearts. In an interview with Marvel Entertainment, Sam Raimi discusses how “Dr. Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness” is bringing “two of the most powerful heroes together.” There has always been controversy over which Avenger is the most powerful, however WandaVision confirmed that many of us have underestimated the power of the Scarlet Witch, thus explaining why it is necessary to watch this series before you see her take the big screen in the upcoming release.

It may be overwhelming to try and understand all the information that is rolled up in each
of these movies, but taking a look at them is in your best interest if you’re planning to see “Dr. Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness” in a couple of weeks. This movie is looking so far like it will bring a completely new dimension to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making it a must-see.

So, grab your popcorn and open up your Disney Plus, where you can find everything featured on this list in one place. You’re in for a ride.