The only Marvel movies you need to watch before seeing 'Avengers Infinity War'

You don't need to binge all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 18 movies before "Avengers: Infinity War" comes to theaters April 27.

But if you do catch up on some of the franchise's previous installments, it will certainly enhance your viewing experience. 

Don't have time to binge nearly two dozen Marvel movies? No problem.

If you only want to watch a few movies before checking out "Infinity War," INSIDER has rounded up the essential Marvel movies to marathon, from least important to most valuable.

7. "Doctor Strange" (2016)

You certainly don't need to watch all of 2016's "Doctor Strange." Skip the first 23 minutes until Strange shows up at Kamar-Taj.

The main thing you want to know more about is the green time stone Strange wears around his neck in the photo above. The stone gives the wielder the ability to control time. It also helps to know a little about the mirror dimension and the astral plane.

The film also provides a good introduction to the Cloak of Levitation who is a scene-stealer once again in "Infinity War."

6. "Black Panther"

By no means is it necessary to watch "Black Panther," but you'll have a greater appreciation for some of the movie's many characters who show up in Infinity War, including the Dora Milaje, led by Danai Gurira's humorous Okoye, the return of M'Baku, and T'Challa's brainy sister Shuri who may know more about tech than Tony Stark.

Plus, it definitely helps to be familiar with King T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) home of Wakanda, where one of the movie's biggest fight sequences takes place. That way, you won't be confused about why the entire African nation is enveloped in a bubble.

5. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)

The second "Avengers" movie can be a bit of a slog to get through. You don't need to watch the farm scene with Hawkeye's kids and you can skip Tony Stark's fun party at the start. 

The important takeaways include the birth of Vision from Stark's AI Jarvis and the fact that he has an Infinity stone in his head. You'll also want to remember the damage the Avengers did in Sokovia all because Stark wanted to build a sentient AI.