The Marvel Cinematic Universe boasts of the best talents in the industry, especially the leading Avengers. Apart from being bankable stars, many of the leading superheroes in one of the highest-grossing franchises in the world have either won the coveted Oscars or have been nominated for one. Even voice actors such as Bradley Cooper and Kerry Condon have been nominated for the Academy Awards.
While the franchise is in its fifth phase and has added multiple Oscar winners and nominees to its kitty, the OG Avengers remain the most beloved of the stars. Actors such as Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Mark Ruffalo were great leaders in laying the foundation for the franchise. While almost all of the Avengers have either won or have been nominated for the Oscars, two actors are yet to receive the honor.
Which Of The OG Avengers Has Been Nominated For The Oscars?
The foundations of the MCU were laid with the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man, which starred Robert Downey Jr. He was an Oscar nominee, earning a nod for his performance in Richard Attenborough’s Chaplin, and he grew to be the biggest asset for the studio as Iron Man became a huge success.
While the next entry, The Incredible Hulk, boasted of three-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, he did not return for the role in subsequent films. He was replaced by another Mark Ruffalo, who at the time was nominated for his role in The Kids Are Alright. After his casting, he would go on to earn nominations for films such as Spotlight and Foxcatcher.
Other members of the OG Avengers who have been nominated for the Oscars include Scarlett Johansson, who created history when she earned two simultaneous nominations for Best Actress in Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress in Jojo Rabbit. MCU’s Hawkeye Jeremy Renner was nominated for The Hurt Locker and The Town before he joined the MCU.
The only members of the elite superhero squad to not have been nominated for an Oscars are Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth. The two ‘Chrises’ have mostly featured in action blockbusters outside the MCU. Though Hemsworth tried his hand at dramatic acting with films such as Rush and Blackhat, his forte seems to be the action genre. Evans directed the drama Before We Go and starred in Gifted.
The MCU At The Oscars
While the MCU is one of the highest-grossing franchises in the world, the films are hardly Oscar-material. Despite changing the Hollywood filmmaking eco-system, the first MCU film to be nominated for Best Picture came ten years after its first film Iron Man, with 2018’s Black Panther. The Chadwick Boseman starrer won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score, earning the franchise’s first wins.
The franchise’s first Oscar nomination came with the first film of the MCU, Iron Man, which was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing. Marvel films were nominated in the technical categories such as Visual Effects, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, and Sound Mixing.
Angela Bassett, who played Queen Ramonda in the Black Panther series, was the first actress to be nominated for an Oscar for a Marvel film. She was nominated for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the Best Supporting Actress category. The film won Ruth Carter another Oscar for Best Costume Design.
Source: Gold Derby
