The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science recently disclosed the shortlist in ten categories for the upcoming Academy Awards, highlighting films on the precipice of possible nomination.Black Widow,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,Eternals, andSpider-Man: No Way Homewere all films released by Marvel Studios this year, each earning some early recognition within the Visual Effects Oscar category.
Spider-Man: No Way Homeand the other films on the shortlist remain in the running for the Visual Effects category, which was determined by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee. Unfortunately, only five films will eventually make the final cut, but it’s uplifting to see all films obtain an early notice from the committee.
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Black Widowmay face the most formidable obstacle out of the mentioned four due to its early release, with the other films benefiting from a later theatrical release.Spider-Man: No Way Homehas been a topicof discussion since its long-awaited arrival, smashing box office records, making it a possible front runner for final consideration. The committee will have the opportunity to interview the artists and view a ten-minute excerpt from each project before announcing the finalists within each category on July 22, 2025.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feigerecently expressed his thoughts on why superhero movies fail to receive Oscar nominations, which centers around bias toward the genre. Feige was pleased to see that the Academy put the cinematic discrimination aside for Ryan Coogler’sBlack Panther, an abnormality for Marvel Studios, taking home victories within three categories at the 2019 Academy Awards. The conversation, however, around the genre has not been a pleasant one, garnering criticism from prominent directors about the genre’s lack of humanity and realism. Nevertheless, there is hope that the Academy will acknowledge the artist behind the atmospheric environments created within theaters.
2021 has been a big year for Marvel Studios, persevering within the chaos of a pandemic to reignite the franchise with new material afterthe success ofAvengers: Endgame. It’s unlikely that all four films will make it to the list of five finalists, especially after the tremendous amount of buzzDunewas able to generate for its landscape design. Kong is no stranger to this category, especially afterKong: Skull Islandearned a nomination for its visual effects in 2018. Shawn Levy’sFree Guywas another cinematic favorite amongst fans, garnering an abundant amount of praise for its feats. The direction the committee will take is unclear, but having more cards within the deck gives Marvel Studios a shot at being on the stage in the end.
A nomination would be welcomed news to the studio, especially after the unusual year 2020 turned about to be. The coronavirus pandemic caused the studio to push their projects to later dates, which resulted in the year being an empty one with no Marvel Studios theatrical releases. As a result, the studio failed to earn a single nomination at the previous award ceremony, which was the first time such a thing had occurred in five years. Seeing the four films up for consideration is tremendous, but it’s not the only place the studio could be taking home an award.Spider-Man: No Way Homealso made the shortlist for Sound, opening the possibility of nominations to two categories. The studio keeps its fingers crossed for Best Picture, with nominations set to be announced on August 04, 2025.
Source:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
