After 15 years on the big screen, Marvel Studios just earned its first nomination for an Academy Award in an acting category.
The MCU ended its 2022 slate with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, one of the most highly-touted movies of Phase 4 and a film for which Marvel has high hopes on the awards circuit.
Considering that the original Black Panther performed better than any MCU movie ever at the Oscars, earning six nominations and three wins, director Ryan Coogler and his team certainly have the opportunity to repeat that success with the sequel.
Even though the MCU has nearly two dozen Oscar nominations under its belt, all have them have come in more technical categories, as the highly-prestigious acting nominations have eluded Marvel Studios over the years.
But now, on top of earning five pre-nominations on the Oscars' 2023 shortlist, that status quo has officially changed after one of Marvel Studios' top performers set a new standard for the superhero franchise.
Marvel Studios Finally Breaks Through at Oscars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially awarded Marvel Studios five nominations for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Among these was the studio's first-ever nomination in an acting category at the 95th Academy Awards.
Angela Bassett was nominated for Best Supporting Actress after her performance as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She earned the MCU's historic first nomination for an Oscar in an acting category after winning a Golden Globe in the same category on January 11, which was the MCU's first major award for any actor ever.
This is also Bassett's second Oscar nomination after being nominated for the Best Actress award for 1993's What's Love Got to Do with It.
Bassett was nominated alongside The Whale's Hong Chau, The Banshee of Inisherin's Kerry Condon, and both Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu from Everything Everywhere All at Once.
While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever missed out on a Best Picture nomination like its predecessor received, the sequel did score nods in four other categories in addition to the Best Supporting Actress recognition.
Wakanda Forever received nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects. Rihanna also earned a nomination for Black Panther 2's "Lift Me Up" single, which played during the credits of the movie.
Angela Bassett & Marvel in Line for Oscars Glory
With two previous Golden Globe wins and an Oscar nomination already under her belt, Angela Bassett continues to add new levels of acclaim for the MCU's biggest stars. While the franchise certainly boasts its fair share of Oscar talent from Iron Man's Jeff Bridges to The Marvels' Brie Larson, this is the franchise's first opportunity for any actor to win an award this big specifically for what he or she did with Marvel Studios.
Simply put, Bassett's performance had an impact on the Academy as she put her heart and soul into her second MCU movie, which was already a challenge with the cast and crew mourning her on-screen son, the late Chadwick Boseman.
Audiences saw the emotion and passion that she put into playing the Wakandan queen, which was capped off by her heartbreaking death after saving Riri Williams during Namor the Submariner's attack.
Now, only a few weeks remain until the Academy Awards show takes the spotlight at Hollywood's Dolby Theater, with MCU fans anxious to see if Bassett can nab her second major award for one of her most celebrated performances ever.
The 95th Academy Awards will air on TV on March 12 at 5:00 PM PST. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be available to stream on Disney+ on Wednesday, February 1.
