The 2026 Academy Award nominations featured several people who have previously worked with Marvel Studios. While the three Marvel movies released in 2025—Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps—didn’t receive any nominations this year, many former Marvel creatives contributed to nominated films, highlighting the strong talent pool that has come through the MCU.
While superhero movies haven’t often been recognized by major Hollywood awards shows, the talented people behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have found success with other films. In 2026, several actors and filmmakers who previously worked on Marvel projects are again being considered for Oscars.
This year’s film festival features the highly anticipated movie Sinners, which received a record number of Oscar nominations. The film reunites talent from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is directed by Ryan Coogler, known for his work on Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – both of which were Oscar nominees. Coogler is nominated for several awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and is also expected to return to direct Black Panther 3 after this project.
Several former Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) actors are among those nominated for the Sinners awards. Michael B. Jordan, known for playing Killmonger in the Black Panther films, is nominated for Best Lead Actor for his performance as the Smokestack twins. His co-star, Wunmi Mosaku, who played Hunter B-15 in Loki, is up for Best Supporting Actress as Annie.
With numerous nominations for Sinners and a strong creative team led by Ryan Coogler, many of the people who worked on the Black Panther films are also being recognized with award nominations. Composer Ludwig Goransson previously won an Oscar for his score for Black Panther and is again a contender for Best Original Score, this time for Sinners. He’s also well-known for his work on the music for The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett in the Star Wars series.
Marvel Studios has also won Oscars for the costume and production design of Black Panther. Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler, who each won an Academy Award for their work on that film, are nominated again in 2026 for Sinners. Carter is recognized for costume design, and Beachler for production design.
I’m so excited to see so many familiar faces from the Black Panther team working on Sinners! It’s amazing that Ryan Coogler brought Autumn Durald Arkapaw with him – she did incredible work on Wakanda Forever, and now she’s up for Best Cinematography in 2026! And it’s not just her – Michael Shawver, who’s collaborated with Ryan for years, is nominated for Best Editing. Even Ken Diaz, who worked on the first Black Panther, is getting recognition for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It really shows the strong team Ryan builds around him!
Chloé Zhao, known for directing the Marvel film Eternals and previously winning an Oscar for Nomadland, has been nominated for Best Director again, this time for the film Hamnet.
This year, the film One Battle After Another, starring Benicio del Toro, is receiving award buzz. Del Toro, recognizable to Marvel fans as the Collector from Thor: The Dark World and Guardians of the Galaxy, has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Sergio St. Carlos. Michael Bauman, a veteran of the Iron Man and Iron Man 2 crews, is also nominated, this time for Best Cinematography for One Battle After Another.
Ethan Hawke, known for his role as Arthur Harrow in the Disney+ series Moon Knight, is nominated for Best Lead Actor for his work in Blue Moon. Stellan Skarsgård, who played Dr. Erik Selvig in several Thor movies, is up for Best Supporting Actor for Sentimental Value.
The sound team behind several major films has received nominations. Gareth John (known for Eternals), Al Nelson (Captain Marvel), Gwendolyn Yates Whittle (WandaVision), Gary A. Rizzo (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), and Juan Peralta (Avengers: Endgame) are nominated for their work on F1. Tony Villaflor, who worked on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is nominated for One Battle After Another, while Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, and Steve Boeddeker from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are nominated for Sinners.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe usually excels in the Visual Effects category, but surprisingly, no Marvel films made the shortlist this year. However, many artists who previously worked on MCU projects – including Joe Letteri (Avatar: Fire and Ash), Nicolas Chevallier (F1), Robert Harrington (F1), Keith Dawson (F1), Charmaine Chan (Jurassic World: Rebirth), Neil Corbould (Jurassic World: Rebirth), Michael Ralla (Sinners), Espen Nordahl (Sinners), and Guido Wolter (Sinners) – were nominated for their work on films released in 2025.
The full list of MCU alumni nominated at the Academy Awards in 2026 includes:
- Michael B. Jordan (Best Lead Actor – Sinners)
- Ryan Coogler (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay – Sinners)
- Chloé Zhao (Best Director – Hamnet)
- Wunmi Mosaku (Best Supporting Actress – Sinners)
- Ethan Hawke (Best Lead Actor – Blue Moon)
- Stellan Skarsgard (Best Supporting Actor – Sentimental Value)
- Benicio del Toro (Best Supporting Actor – One Battle After Another)
- Ludwig Goransson (Best Original Score – Sinners)
- Ruth E. Carter (Best Costume Design – Sinners)
- Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Best Cinematography – Sinners)
- Michael Shawver (Best Editing – Sinners)
- Hannah Beachler (Best Production Design – Sinners)
- Ken Diaz (Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Sinners)
- Michael Bauman (Best Cinematography – One Battle After Another)
- Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo (Best Sound – F1)
- Tony Villaflor (Best Sound – One Battle After Another)
- Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeke (Best Sound – Sinners)
- Joe Letteri (Best Visual Effects – Avatar: Fire and Ash)
- Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington, Keith Dawson (Best Visual Effects – F1)
- Charmaine Chan, Neil Corbould (Best Visual Effects – Jurassic World: Rebirth)
- Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter (Best Visual Effects – Sinners),
The 98th Academy Awards winners will be announced on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
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2026-01-24 21:07