We are now 21 films deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the 22nd film—Avengers: Endgame—is the culmination of everything that’s come before. That’s a mighty exciting prospect to longtime fans of the MCU, but also a daunting one to people who maybe haven’t seen every Marvel Studios movie thus far. What to watch before Endgame is a hot button question. While the completionists would argue it’s essential to have seen all 21 films before heading into Avengers: Endgame, not everybody has that kind of time, and to be honest, there are a handful of MCU movies that are fairly inessential. Beyond that, while there are some Marvel movies that are utterly delightful—like Thor: Ragnarok and Iron Man 3—they don’t seem to have much bearing on the plot of Endgame, and thus could be skipped if need-be.

So given the enormity of Endgame, we thought it might be helpful to put together a list of what to watch before Endgame in order to understand just what exactly is going on in the Avengers sequel. Again, ideally one would simply watch all 21 Marvel movies, but for those who just want to be able to enjoy Avengers 4 without being confused, the below list is a “bare necessities” rundown. Behold, the 11 Marvel movies you need to see before Avengers: Endgame.

Iron Man (2008)

2008’s Iron Man is where this all began, and it provides the foundation for everything that came after. While there’s likely not much that will be revisited plot-wise from the Jon Favreau-directed film, it fully establishes the MCU’s “lead” Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and sets up the rules and tone of this universe that all subsequent films would follow. There’s also the possibility that there will be a nod or two to this film in Endgame given that the Avengers sequel is being billed as a “culmination.” And if Tony Stark does indeed bite the dust? Expect a callback to the film that started it all.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

If Tony Stark is the “lead” of the MCU, then Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is the co-lead. So it’s probably best to experience the origin story of Captain America in the World War II-set Captain America: The First Avenger. Most people seem to think Steve Rogers will die in Endgame, so experiencing the hero’s origin story will only make that exit more impactful. Plus, from a plot point of view, The First Avenger is where the Tesseract is a major plot point. This shiny box-like object has been the central MacGuffin of the MCU thus far, playing a major role in The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Captain Marvel, so it stands to reason it could prove important when Endgame rolls around.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)

So if we’re skipping Thor and Iron Man 2, then 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers serves as your perfect introduction to the rest of the main MCU heroes to get you primed and ready for what’s to come. Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Nick Fury, and Agent Coulson all come into focus in The Avengers, and the film also depicts the first time the titular team had to assemble to save the Earth. And, again, the Tesseract plays a central role.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

As time has worn on, Captain America: The Winter Soldier has had less bearing on the plot of the MCU, but at the time of its release it was pretty major. It reveals that S.H.I.E.L.D.—the government agency that oversaw all of the Avengers’ movements—has been compromised since World War II and may or may not have been doing evil deeds around the globe. But on a character level, The Winter Soldier furthers the development of Steve Rogers and offers more shading to Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow—two of the core members of The Avengers.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Yes, really. The less said about how this much-maligned sequel plays a role in Endgame the better, but if you haven't seen this one in a while or steered clear due to its reputation, it wouldn't hurt to give Thor: The Dark World a spin. Hey, despite its problems, it still has a really fun third act set piece!

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy was groundbreaking in many ways, and I don’t think we understood at the time just how significant the film would be to the future of the MCU. It introduced the cosmic side of the Marvel universe in a major way, revealing the various planets and alien beings who are fighting for good (or bad) at the same time that our heroes are protecting this little ol’ planet we call Earth. We also see in Infinity War that Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the adopted daughter of Thanos (Josh Brolin), plays a major role in the endgame of the MCU, and Guardians of the Galaxy lays down the necessary emotional stakes to make the impact of Infinity War that much stronger.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Joss Whedon’s 2015 sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of the more divisive entries in the MCU, but if we’re talking about homework prep for Avengers 4, it’s a fairly necessary installment. Not only does it further the character development of our core team, but it fleshes out Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is a big way, introduces the supremely powerful Vision (Paul Bettany), and brings Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch into the fold. The Ultron of it all you can take or leave, but from a pure character perspective, Age of Ultron is pretty crucial.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

So we skipped both Iron Man sequels but are including all the Captain America movies. That’s because the Avengers films give Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark a great deal of screentime so you already get a strong sense of his character through those, and the Captain America sequels have been used to further the plot of the MCU in major ways. 2016’s Captain America: Civil War sets up the emotional stakes leading into the final two Avengers films, as it explains why the Avengers team broke apart and allows you to understand how hard it’s going to be for the core team to reconcile in Endgame. This movie also introduces Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) into the mix since we’re skipping those individual films as non-essential from a plot perspective.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Obviously. This is basically Part 1 to Endgame’s Part 2, so you really can’t skip this one.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Captain Marvel (2019)

The most recent MCU film, Captain Marvel proved to be far more essential to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than some may have expected. The film is set in the 90s, but it serves as a great showcase for Nick Fury while also unveiling the origin story for the most powerful character in the entire MCU: Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. It’s pretty clear that she’s going to be the missing piece that’s key to undoing Thanos’ destruction from Infinity War, so experiencing Captain Marvel will give you a better understanding of what Carol’s all about, what her powers are, and where she’s been all this time.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.

Extra Credit: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Okay so this one is kind of "extra credit" given that we aren't sure it'll pay off, but it might. The theory goes that in Avengers: Endgame, because of the suits seen in the trailer, the heroes will venture to the Quantum Realm in order to undo Thanos's snap. Ant-Man and the Wasp is a very slight movie (it's fun, but quite unsubstantial in relation to the rest of the MCU), but it does deal pretty a bit with the specifics of the Quantum Realm and even shows characters venturing in there to rescue Janet van Dyne. So if the aforementioned theory is correct, this one will give you a better understanding of that whole quantum business. If that theory is bogus, this one will give you Paul Rudd as Giant-Man stomping through San Francisco.

Is It Streaming?: Yes, on Disney+.