10 Performances In Superhero Movies That Deserved Oscars, According To Reddit
In recent years, when award season approaches, there is inevitably a conversation around whether some of the biggest superhero movies of the year will be recognized. Despite being the biggest genre in Hollywood, these types of movies generally get overlooked by the Oscars, especially when it comes to performances.
For some, the lack of acting nominations for the Marvel and DC movies makes sense as they are popcorn movies not generally focused on performances. However, some of the fans on Reddit have highlighted performances within these movies they feel were Oscar-worthy.
10 Patrick Stewart – Logan (2017)
Though it seems as though Patrick Stewart will be returning to his iconic role as Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Logan felt like a fitting swan song for the character. The movie was a much darker and grounded X-Men movie which gave Stewart some incredible emotional moments to play.
Stewart is an actor with a career filled with fine performances, but some felt his part in Logan was his biggest Oscar snub yet. Redditor ahmadadam96 felt that the fact Stewart “didn’t even get nominated” doesn’t bode well for superhero performances getting nominated.
9 Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther (2018)
While it has been incredibly rare, Black Panther proved that the Oscars are willing to nominate a superhero movie for Best Picture. But beyond the movie itself, some fans feel the performances, especially Michael B. Jordan, also deserved some attention.
Jordan delivered one of the best MCU villains yet with his performance as Killmonger. While Jordan has yet to be nominated for an Oscar in his impressive young career, Redditor BaronJaster thought they “could see” his Black Panther performance being worthy of a nomination.
8 Michael Rooker – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Though he was mostly seen as a supporting player in the first movie, Yondu was given a much more expanded role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. As the sequel explores Yondu’s relationship with Peter Quill, Michael Rooker had a chance to take the character in new directions.
Along with being a funny and badass member of the ensemble, Rooker gets some of the biggest emotional moments in the movie, including his finale scene. One Redditor felt Rooker “deserved” a nomination for his work.
7 Paul Dano – The Batman (2022)
Though the movie is still very recent, many fans are already looking at The Batman as the next great hope for superhero movies at the Oscars. In particular, Paul Dano’s performance as The Riddler is being called the best of the movie by many.
Though he is a character who mostly operates in the shadows, once Dano does step into the spotlight, he is extremely compelling. Redditor MrsAshleyStark already thinks Dano should win the “best supporting actor” Oscar for his work.
6 Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
It was a thrill to see so many past Spider-Man characters from other movies return in Spider-Man: No Way Home. And one of the returning actors who really stole the show in a lot of scenes was Willem Dafoe reprising his villainous role as Green Goblin.
Though Dafoe was excellent in the Raimi movies, he gets the chance to be both sympathetic and terrifying in his MCU debut. Redditor withdavidbowie felt it was a performance that “totally deserves” some love from the Oscars.
5 Brie Larson – Captain Marvel (2019)
Brie Larson is one of the few actors who was already an Oscar winner by the time she became a superhero. As the titular hero in Captain Marvel, Larson brought her considerable acting talents to the MCU as a character many feel will become a central figure in the universe going forward.
Larson’s take on the powerful and confident hero was a hit with many fans. Redditor SuperCoenBros was particularly impressed, saying Larson’s performance left them “in awe” and that they would have liked to see her recognized.
4 Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
When the character of Captain America was brought into the 21st within the MCU, it was unclear how well that would work. However, Captain America: The Winter Soldier proved there were some interesting ways of tackling the character in a modern setting and Chris Evans’s performance really helped to cement it all.
Along with being the relentless figure of good, Evans was able to convey Steve Rogers’s struggle with being a man out of time and surrounded by people he didn’t trust. Redditor Deviator77 was among those who praised Evans for his performance and would have liked to see him “recognized for his efforts.”
3 Marisa Tomei – Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Though Aunt May never had a huge role in the movies, Spider-Man: No Way Home made her a more central character in Peter Parker’s journey as a hero than any of the previous adventures. Marisa Tomei continued to bring humor and heart to the character but also delivered some truly powerful moments that rank among the most heartbreaking in the movie.
Given the way the character was used in the other movies, Redditor NWestxSWest was one of the many fans who was surprised at what an amazing performance Tomei delivered in the role.
2 Robert Downey Jr. – Avengers: Endgame (2019)
As the hero that launched the franchise, Iron Man has been the face of the MCU since the beginning. And it’s fair to say that the entire cinematic universe might not have gotten off the ground if not for Robert Downey Jr.’s winning performance.
Avengers: Endgame marked the end of Iron Man and Downey Jr.’s time in the MCU while giving the character a fitting goodbye. Redditor statictdn was among the fans who thought it was possible Downy Jr. could receive “something to recognize his performance and significance in the MCU as a whole.”
1 Hugh Jackman – Logan (2017)
Though he was a relatively unknown talent upon being cast as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman became an icon of the superhero genre with his performance over the course of nine movies. However, Logan was the movie that really let Jackman explore the character in some hard-hitting ways.
Thanks to the freedom of an R-rating and the willingness to push the character to extremes, Jackman was able to show off so much more of his talent beyond simply being a badass. Redditor Cotanak__ declared that if any actor in “a superhero movie should get an Oscar” it should have been Jackman.
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