Marvel Studios has received its first Academy Award nomination in an acting category after 15 years on the big screen.
The MCU concluded its 2022 slate with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, one of Phase 4’s most anticipated films and one for which Marvel has high hopes on the awards circuit.
Given that the original Black Panther received more Oscar nominations and wins than any other MCU film, director Ryan Coogler and his team have a good chance of repeating that success with the sequel.
Despite the fact that the MCU has nearly two dozen Oscar nominations, all of them have come in more technical categories, as the highly coveted acting nominations have eluded Marvel Studios over the years.
However, that status quo has now officially changed after one of Marvel Studios’ top performers set a new standard for the superhero franchise, in addition to earning five pre-nominations on the Oscars’ 2023 shortlist.
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Marvel Studios Makes a Break at the Oscars
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever received five official nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
One of these was the 95th Academy Awards’ first-ever nomination for the studio in an acting category.
In recognition of her portrayal of Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. After winning a Golden Globe in the same category on January 11, the first major award for any actress in the MCU, she was subsequently nominated for her first-ever Oscar in the acting category.
Following her Best Actress nod for 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It, this marks Bassett’s second Oscar nomination.
Along with Kerry Condon from The Banshee of Inisherin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and Hong Chau from The Whale, Bassett was also nominated.
While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did not win a nomination for Best Picture like its predecessor did, it did receive nominations in four other categories in addition to Best Supporting Actress.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, and Best Costume Design nominations were all given to Wakanda Forever. In addition, Black Panther 2‘s “Lift Me Up” track, which played throughout the film’s credits, received a nomination for Rihanna.
Angela Bassett and Marvel are poised to win the Oscars.
With two prior Golden Globe victories and an Oscar nomination already under her belt, Angela Bassett keeps raising the bar for the MCU’s top actors in terms of critical praise. Although the franchise has its fair share of Oscar winners, like Brie Larson from The Marvels and Jeff Bridges from Iron Man, this is the studio’s first chance for any actor to win an award this significant, especially for their work with Marvel Studios.
Bassett committed her heart and herself to her second Marvel Cinematic Universe film, which was already difficult given that the cast and crew were in sorrow for her on-screen son, the late Chadwick Boseman. Quite simply, Bassett’s performance had an impact on the Academy.
She portrayed the Wakandan queen with passion and emotion, which culminated in her terrible demise after rescuing Riri Williams from Namor the Submariner’s onslaught.
Now that the Oscars are just a few weeks away, MCU fans are eager to see if Bassett can win her second big prize for one of her most acclaimed performances ever. The Oscars program will be held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater.
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