The Oscars singleheadly managed to piss off every Jackie Chan fan with a ‘diabolical’ decision

Despite its almost 100-year-long run, the Academy Awards have riled up a number of controversies, whether it’s for the lack of diversity, for getting tangled in industry politics and sidelineing true talent, for its choice of nominees and winners, and/or its host that either have a problematic past or end up creating one on stage. But this time, the Oscars finally took what it obviously perceived to be a step in the right direction, only to royally tick off Jackie Chan fans. 

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that it will now recognize Best Stunt Design, a category that will get its first nominees from 2027 films for the 100th Oscars in 2028.

“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in their statement. “We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”

For decades, stuntmen and stunt coordinators have rallied for this category at the Oscars, for it is their hard work that films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, Matrix trilogy, The Dark Knight, and more stand out from their peers. But the frustrating part has always been the fact that these movies… correction – all these Oscar-winning movies nabbed awards in many categories and would have definitely been up for a Stunt Coordination Award or an equivalent if the Oscars had bothered to recognize the talent working day and night to bring mindblowing stunt scenes to life.

But now that the Academy has done it, Jackie Chan, who is an absolute legend when it comes to stunt work, can no longer be a leading contender since the actor, now in his 70s, has considerably toned down the danger level of his earlier stunts. It would be an understatement to say his fans are not happy.

Some are asking the right – but purely nostalgic – questions. Like, what would Chan’s shelves look like if this category had been there when he was dropping insane stunt scenes left, right, and center?

Of course, fans remember City Hunter, in which Chan had to make a jump from a high ledge onto a moving hoverboard. But he slipped and broke his collarbone. But even though he was rushed to the hospital for the painful injury, he returned to finish the scene while wearing a hidden shoulder brace. 

All the Oscars in the world might not be enough to honor the dedication the man has shown to his art as an actor and stuntman. There is no rectifying the fact that the Oscars sidelined him and many other talented stunt creators out there, but maybe, just maybe, recognizing those in the future will fix the past a little.