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| Black Panther (2018) – T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) |
It used to be that comic book and superhero movies were few and far between in Hollywood. Nowadays, they are grabbing up screenplays for just about everything because, for the most part, if it has the name Marvel or DC attached to it, it’s most likely going to be a box office smash. 2018 was no different, and some fantastic films were released. The best sports betting sites will have odds on the Oscars, so we’ll have to check as we get closer to awards time.
A Brief History in Time (Comic Books in a Nutshell)
It all pretty much started with the “Adventures of Superman” in the early 1950s, “Batman” and “The Green Hornet” being introduced to television sets across the world in 1966. But since then we have seen more and more TV series and eventually, the 1978 box office juggernaut, “Superman”. This was the beginning of movie franchises based around comic books.
Even people who have never picked up a comic or graphic novel in their life know all the usual suspects: Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The X-Men, the Avengers, etc. but there have been great films over the years that many might not have realized were comics.
1994’s “The Mask” was a smash hit. And most people didn’t realize that it was just an adaptation of a Dark Horse comic. Also in ‘94, the cult classic, “The Crow” was released on the big screen, but James O’Barr’s beautiful work was first seen in 1988 on the back cover of Deadworld #10. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” may seem new to many, but that team has been kicking butt in the Marvel Universe since 1969!
Despite being vastly popular, movies based on comics tend to get snubbed by the Academy when it comes to major awards (enter Deadpool and Logan). The only Oscar awarded that was related to acting ever won by a superhero movie was for Heath Ledger’s undeniably astounding portrayal of the Joker in “The Dark Knight”.
Which Comic-Based Film Released in 2018 Could Win Awards?
2018 was a great year. Maybe not as good as 2017, but a solid year with “Avengers: Infinity War”, “Black Panther”, “Ant-Man and the Wasp“, “Deadpool 2”, and “I Kill Giants”. There are still some potentially awesome movies yet to come out like “Venom”, “Aquaman”, and “Alita: Battle Angel”.
If any film is going to pick up a major award, it will probably be “Black Panther”. The cultural significance and empowering nature of the film can’t be overlooked. Plus it was simply a fantastic film. The Ringer lists it at No. 2 all-time best superhero movie, and Business Insider lists Black Panther at No. 4. “Black Panther” has won a bunch of awards and has a legitimate shot at taking “Best Picture”.
But the Academy is adding a new category, Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film, probably solely for the job of giving that to Ryan Coogler’s classic instead of the deserved and highly coveted ‘Best Picture’.
Deadpool, though wonderful, is too tongue-in-cheek to be taken seriously by the stuffy Academy for pretty much any category. And although Paul Rudd is always entertaining, especially paired with the likes of Evangeline Lilly, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” just isn’t powerful enough to garner Oscar attention. It lacks that certain, “je ne sais quoi”.
Tom Hardy’s role as Venom is supposed to be wonderful, so could there be a chance that he gets a nod, at least in the form of a nomination? We’ll have to wait and see. But there is a great chance for one of these movies to pull down an award for best visual effects, best hair, and makeup, costume design, etc.
“I Kill Giants” was visually stunning, and the trailers for “Alita: Battle Angel” show that the animation and CGI are magnificent. Of course, “Aquaman” will likely have loads of fantastic visual effects, but he’s always kind of been the third wheel of superheroes and the Academy knows this, so we shouldn’t even expect a smattering of praise from the Academy directed towards the trident-wielding King of the Seven Seas.
Do you think Superhero Movies Deserve an Oscar? Which movie would you recommend?
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