Marvel Studios was unfortunately nominated for a Razzie Award for the first time in the MCU's 16-year history.
The MCU went through a few rough patches with its 2023 release schedule. Films like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania arrived to largely negative reviews from critics and fans alike, leading the series to have a bit of an off-year in the minds of many.
These reviews were particularly shocking to Marvel Studios' top brass, who believed "they had something good" with the Ant-Man threequel as it set the stage for future Multiverse Saga adventures.
Marvel Studios' First Razzie Nomination
In a release from The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios was nominated for three awards at the Golden Raspberry Awards (more infamously known as the Razzies), which are the first nominations of this kind the MCU has ever received.
All three nominations were for Marvel Studios' first movie of 2023, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, a film whose negative reviews led to plenty of disappointment amongst its cast.
While Marvel movies from other studios have been nominated for Razzies (including Sony Pictures' Morbius and 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four), this marks the first time Marvel Studios itself has been put in the same position.
Ant-Man 3 was one of five nominees in the "Worst Prequel, Remake Rip-Off, or Sequel" category, which also included The Exorcist: Believer and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny.
The full list of nominees can be seen below:
- Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
- The Exorcist: Believer
- Expend4bles
- Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny
- Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
The "Worst Supporting Actor" category included Michael Douglas and MCU newcomer Bill Murray, with the full list of nominees coming below:
- Michael Douglas - Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
- Mel Gibson - Confidential Informant
- Bill Murray - Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
- Franco Nero (as “The Pope”) - The Pope’s Exorcist
- Sylvester Stallone - Expend4ables
Finally, director Peyton Reed earned a nomination in the "Worst Director" category as part of the following list:
- Rhys Frake-Waterfield - Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
- David Gordon Green - The Exorcist: Believer
- Peyton Reed - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Scott Waugh - Expend4bles
- Ben Wheatley - Meg 2: The Trench
Where Does Marvel Studios Go in 2024?
While fans are well aware that the Razzie Awards are no bright light in the film industry, it is still disappointing to see Marvel Studios' name brought up in this conversation.
Now, after two of the studios' three movies flopped financially and critically in 2023, the MCU hopes to win back some favor by making some big changes behind the scenes.
This will manifest partially with the fact that only one MCU movie is being released in 2024, that being Deadpool 3, which is already building plenty of excitement as the franchise's first-ever R-rated theatrical release.
And with bigger movies like Avengers: Secret Wars having their release dates pushed back, it has become clear that Marvel Studios is putting in the work to make sure MCU fans get the best product possible moving forward.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is now streaming on Disney+.
