Academy Member Slams Avengers Movies, Says He’d Never Vote For Them

If one thing’s clear, it’s that blockbuster movies and awards seasons don’t always mix well. For better or for worse, events like the Oscars and Golden Globes tend to place an emphasis on creativity and pushing the medium forward, while superhero flicks have one goal in mind: cater to a wide audience, and make a boatload of money while doing so.

As you can imagine, there’s been some tension between the general public and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over the past decade or so. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gotten more and more popular, fans have begun to wonder why their favorite blockbuster movies haven’t received as much recognition come award season, outside of categories for visual effects and the like. On the other hand, voting members tend to favor films that push storytelling, acting, and directing to a new level, and, if we’re being honest, superhero flicks generally don’t do that, save for a few exceptions.

For instance, earlier this year, Black Panther snagged three Oscars for Original Score, Costume Design and Production Design, and it even managed to get a nom for Best Picture. However, it looks like one Academy member isn’t too keen on superhero films winning an award anytime soon. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (via CinemaBlend), an anonymous director noted how he’d never vote for an Avengers movie to win an Oscar.

“There’s just no way on earth that I will ever vote for anything with the word Avengers in the title; like a lot of people in the Academy, I don’t respect money-grabs.”

It’s not entirely clear who this particular filmmaker is, other than the fact that he’s male, a director, and that he votes as part of the 519-person strong director’s branch. Of course, with Black Panther snagging a handful of Oscars earlier this year, there’s always a chance that another MCU film could take home Best Picture in future years, but we wouldn’t exactly hold our breath given what this voter says.

Clearly, while Endgame has proven itself popular at the box office, a lot of hearts and minds would have to be changed before the Avengers get their hands on a golden statue for themselves.