The 8 essential Marvel movies and shows to watch before Ironheart – a spoiler-free guide

Ironheart is just around the corner, which means it's time to get ready for the last ever Marvel Phase 5 project.

But, since this is Marvel, there is naturally some homework you should do before settling down to watch. Below, we've rounded up the eight essential Marvel movies and shows you should watch before Ironheart, using Disney Plus's recommended viewing as our guide.

With some expected choices and some more wildcard options, too, you can't go wrong with our roundup. And, if you're just looking for an MCU marathon, you can use our guide on watching the Marvel movies in order instead. For all your Ironheart needs, though, head on down for our essential, spoiler-free watch guide.

The Marvel movies and shows to watch before Ironheart

Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Riri Williams was first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so it makes sense to watch this Marvel Phase 4 movie before you dive into Ironheart. But, if you're going to watch the sequel, you might as well watch the first film, too. It's one of the best Marvel movies, after all.

Black Panther introduces us to T'Challa and his genius sister Shuri, and it sees Wakanda torn between T'Challa and his estranged cousin Killmonger in a battle for the throne. Then, following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, Wakanda Forever sees Shuri take on the mantle of the Black Panther, going up against Namor and his underwater kingdom – and meeting Riri – in the process.

Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Iron Man 3

Maybe the most obvious choices on the list are all three Iron Man movies. Riri Williams builds her own Stark-inspired tech, so it makes sense to go back to the source and see Tony Stark's journey for yourself.

Iron Man introduces us to Tony, a defence contractor who, after being kidnapped by the Ten Rings terrorist group, builds himself a prototype super suit which eventually becomes the Iron Man gear we know and love. Along the way, he clashes with Obadiah Stane, his mentor turned nemesis.

Iron Man 2, meanwhile, sees Tony (and his buddy Rhodey) go up against Whiplash and Justin Hammer, while also dealing with pressure to hand his suit technology over to the government. It also introduces none other than Black Widow to the MCU.

Then, in Iron Man 3, we see Tony struggling with PTSD in the aftermath of the events of The Avengers.

Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

These two are perhaps more left-field choices, but, after a trailer teased Riri using magic, it looks like the Doctor Strange movies are essential watches ahead of Ironheart.

Doctor Strange introduces Stephen Strange, a doctor who becomes a powerful magic user. Then, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness pits him against Wanda Maximoff, AKA the Scarlet Witch, who is trawling the multiverse for a chance to see her children again.

It's unclear at the moment how magic will play into Ironheart, but if you want to brush up on how it works in the MCU (especially since everyone is once again convinced Mephisto is showing up), the Doctor Strange movies are the best places to start.

What If...?

Riri features in the What If season 3 episode, 'What If... The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?' In the episode, Riri must face off against Quentin Beck and the Iron Legion.

What If is a multiverse show, though, so this isn't the version of Riri we'll be seeing in Ironheart. Still, if you want to get up to speed on her full story, it's worth checking out – after all, Captain Carter made the jump from What If to the mainline MCU in Doctor Strange 2.

That's a wrap on Ironheart. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has on the way, or see our Ironheart release schedule to keep up to date with the show.