Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Superheroes are everywhere. They’re on TV, they’re in movie theaters, they’re on the shirt of the girl on your right and in the backpack of the guy to your left. There’s one place, however, where superheroes are absent: the Oscars! Studios release more and more superhero movies every year, and the Academy has remained pretty consistent on their stance on caped crusaders: keep ’em in the technical categories! Never mind that f’ing Avatar got a Best Picture nomination, superhero movies are just not serious enough or something.
But all that’s changed this year, at least as far as nominations go. Faced with a box office, critical, and cultural smash hit like Black Panther, voters couldn’t just ignore it. The film did something that no other superhero film has ever done before: it scored a Best Picture nomination (along with six other noms). It’s not alone, too; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse earned a nom, as did Avengers: Infinity War,
If Spider-Verse wins Best Animated Feature, if Infinity War wins Best Visual Effects, or if Black Panther wins in any of its seven categories, these films will join a very, very small group of superhero Oscar winners. Below you’ll find a list of all the superhero movies, from Marvel and Disney to Pixar, that managed to score a win. It’s a small list, but it could get longer very soon.
'Superman' (1979)
- Won for Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects
- 4 Nominations, 1 Win
It shouldn’t be a surprise that the film that essentially kicked off the era of blockbuster superhero filmmaking scored an Oscar back in the day. Sure, those flying scenes maybe don’t hold up well today, but they were stunning 40 years ago. But get this: Superman was awarded during the ’70s when there wasn’t really a devoted category to special effects. That’s why Superman, one of only two superhero movies to win for visual effects, actually took home a Special Achievement Award.
'Batman' (1990)
- Best Art Direction/Set Decoration
- 1 Nomination, 1 Win
Batman was really the only superhero game in town in the ’90s, as special effects hadn’t yet reached the point where mutants and web-slingers could believably pop-up on screen. Tim Burton’s Batman wasn’t even nominated for it’s effects (that year, the visual effects award went to Total Recall, which was also the only nominee). Instead, the masterminds that brought the dark art deco drama of Gotham City to life were given a statue, beating out The Abyss, Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
'Spider-Man 2' (2005)
- Best Achievement in Visual Effects
- 3 Nominations, 1 Win
By 2005, the superhero genre had a firm grip on the box office–and it hasn’t let go since. The Academy recognized this by handing over the gold to the visual effects team that orchestrated the dizzying, fast-paced fights of Spider-Man 2. The film beat Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and I, Robot, and is as of now the most recent superhero film to win for special effects. That could change this year as Avengers: Infinity War just might be the frontrunner.
'The Incredibles' (2005)
- Best Achievement in Sound Editing
- Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
- 4 Nominations, 2 Wins
Whatever hesitancy the Academy has about nominating superhero films in the major categories, it totally sets those aside if that film is a cartoon. Pixar’s The Incredibles won half of the categories it was nominated in, even earning a nomination in Best Original Screenplay. The Incredibles II is up for Best Animated Feature award this year, but it faces stiff competition in the form of another superhero movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
'The Dark Knight' (2009)
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger
- Best Achievement in Sound Editing
- 8 Nominations, 2 Wins
The Dark Knight’s unprecedented performance at the 2009 awards was tinged with grief due to Heath Ledger’s tragic death. The film racked up the most nominations of any superhero movie ever–even one more than Black Panther earned this year! It then won two Oscars, tying with The Incredibles for the most wins for a superhero movie. And Heath Ledger won for his terrifying portrayal of the Joker, making him the only actor to ever be nominated or win for playing a comic book character.
'Big Hero 6' (2015)
- Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
- 1 Nomination, 1 Win
Disney Animation scored a big win with Big Hero 6, which followed The Incredibles‘ lead by winning the Best Animated Feature award. The film also gave Marvel a win, as Big Hero 6’s characters are loosely based on a Marvel comic of the same name. Since The Incredibles was a Pixar original, this is the only superhero adaptation to ever win a best movie Oscar in any category. Black Panther or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse could join it this year!
'Suicide Squad' (2017)
- Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
- 1 Nomination, 1 Win
You can hate on Suicide Squad all you want, but you have to call it Academy Award-winning Suicide Squad while you do it. This may seem like a crazy win, but remember that the movie’s glamour squad had to dye hair, cover people in ridiculous body paint, and apply facial tattoos and body scales to practically everyone. This was a lot of work! Also, The Nutty Professor and Harry and the Hendersons won this award back in the day. This category can get weird!
