Angela Bassett secures the MCU’s first acting Oscar nomination

After 15 years and 30 movies, Angela Bassett is the first actor to receive an Oscar nomination for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther franchise has yet another accolade added to its library of achievements. The original film was the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to get nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, as well as the first superhero movie ever nominated in that foremost category. Now the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has garnered the MCU’s first acting nomination, for Angela Bassett in a supporting performance.

Wakanda Forever is also nominated for Visual Effects, Original Song, Costume Design, and Makeup. A win in any area would be welcomed by the franchise, however bringing Marvel Studios an acting Oscar would be even more impressive. It may be difficult to top Kerry Condon’s foul-mouthed, interdictive sister, who pleads to steer her ignorant brother in the right direction in The Banshees of Inisherin. But Bassett combines solemnity and authority as the Wakandan ruler – proficiently leading her people while mourning the loss of her son. Either actress is deserving of the award.

And although this type of recognition for Angela Bassett is clearly justified, it is a bit surprising that Letitia Wright has not been given a similar level of attention for Wakanda Forever. As Shuri, she overcomes extreme emotional burdens to breakout as a resilient figurehead for Wakanda to rally behind.

Another great MCU performance of 2022 belonged to Elizabeth Olsen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, following in the footsteps of WandaVision – the actress was nominated for television awards for that limited series, but disregarded for continuing the great work in the Doctor Strange sequel. Both Wright and Olsen’s acting was more commanding than the Oscar nominated cast of Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Even the original Black Panther contained the immense abilities of Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan. Boseman was actually snubbed a few times in his career before receiving a posthumous nod for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. One could easily argue that his King T’Challa was more meaningful than four-time nominee Willem Dafoe as Van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate. And it is unfortunate that the Academy chose Sam Rockwell’s George W. Bush’s impersonation in Vice over Michael B. Jordan’s fierce yet significant portrayal of Killmonger in Black Panther.

And just in 2021, the Academy could have considered MCU actors instead of merely their visual effects teams. Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Tony Leung in Shang-Chi were considerably more memorable than Javier Bardem, for lead actor, and J.K. Simmons, for supporting actor, in Being the Ricardos. And Florence Pugh was immeasurably entertaining in Black Widow, delivering a stronger performance than Aunjanue Ellis in King Richard or Judi Dench in Belfast; Caitriona Balfe was the standout in Belfast, yet the veteran thespian received the nomination.

There have been several other MCU actors that have been overlooked throughout the years, especially Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Alas, this is a time for celebration for the prominent Angela Bassett. Her only other Oscar nod came 30 years ago for her transformation into Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. Up until now, only Joker actors have exclusively won Oscar statuettes for comic book adaptations, so it would truly be special for Bassett to claim victory for playing Queen Ramonda in the MCU.

Do you think Angela Bassett deserves the Supporting Actress Oscar for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Let us know in the comments below.