Superman Just Got Even Closer to Winning an Oscar Next Year (And Marvel’s Chances Are Almost Zero)

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Award season is here again, and while superhero movies rarely get nominated for major awards like Best Director or Best Actor, studios often aim for nominations in technical categories. Big-budget films like Superman, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps have the potential to be recognized for things like visual effects, music, and costume design. With the Oscar nominations just a month away, recent shortlists give us a good idea of which superhero movies are in contention this year.

The Academy Awards announced the films being considered in 12 different categories today. Superman is in the running for both Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. From Marvel, only Captain America: Brave New World made the cut, being considered for Best Original Score.

Can Superman or Captain America: Brave New World Win Any Oscars?

Just because Superman and Brave New World are on the initial lists doesn’t mean they’ll actually be nominated for an Oscar. They’re simply being considered at this early stage. Both films face strong competition, especially from several contenders for Best Picture. A big part of awards season is campaigning, and films like One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Hamnet appear to have more enthusiastic support right now. This doesn’t mean Superman or Brave New World are bad films, just that award voters seem to favor other titles.

Let’s be real, even if Superman manages to snag a win in either Visual Effects or Sound, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Avatar: Fire and Ash feels like a guaranteed win for Best Visual Effects – it’s practically following the pattern set by the previous Avatar films. Superman definitely delivers impressive effects, and James Gunn and his team deserve credit, but honestly, it would be a huge shock if James Cameron didn’t take home the prize. As for Sound, I think Superman‘s lack of momentum in the Best Picture race will really hurt its chances. Looking back, it’s been a while – 2008 with The Dark Knight – since a film not nominated for Best Picture won an Oscar in a sound category. Unless something unexpected happens and Superman suddenly gains traction with Best Picture voters, I’m predicting a shutout for the film.

Winning Best Original Score doesn’t usually go hand-in-hand with a Best Picture nomination, although films like Soul and The Hateful Eight have been exceptions. Typically, the movie with the winning score is also up for Best Picture, but Brave New World isn’t expected to be among this year’s ten nominees. While a nomination isn’t impossible, it would depend on how much Disney invests in promoting it. Brave New World received mixed reviews, which makes winning awards more difficult, and Disney may prioritize campaigning for its more critically acclaimed films instead.

It’s a bit surprising that none of the other Marvel films released this year made it onto any of these award shortlists. Michael Giacchino, a well-respected composer who has already won an Oscar and been nominated for another, could have been recognized for his score in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Maybe First Steps or Thunderbolts could still be contenders in other categories. First Steps in particular has a good chance for Best Production Design, thanks to its unique 1960s retro-futuristic style. While it’s a shame these movies aren’t likely to win major awards, they might still receive some recognition.

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2025-12-17 00:18