As the company’s Chief Creative Officer, the architect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the most powerful figures in the industry and a producer that’s been as successful as they have been revolutionary, Kevin Feige’s words carry an awful lot of weight in Hollywood.
However, even fans of the franchise were voicing their doubts when the MCU’s head honcho claimed that there was bias towards his big budget superhero blockbusters from the major awards bodies. Let’s not forget that Black Panther nabbed a Best Picture nod, and the comic book saga has gone home with a handful of technical prizes, so it sounded a little like sour grapes.
The real reason why no other installments in the MCU made the shortlist for the most prestigious prize in the business is a simple one; they didn’t deserve to. Sony and Marvel are mounting a massive Oscars push for Spider-Man: No Way Home, though, with Feige reiterating to The Hollywood Reporter that Tom Holland’s multiversal effort is worth taking into consideration.
“I think both of these types of films deserve recognition… think about the artistry that goes into storytelling that connects with a wide range of people on a very emotional level. It’s a good thing when people are in a theater and they stand up and cheer. It’s a good thing when people are wiping tears because they’re thinking back on their last 20 years of moviegoing and what it has meant to them. That, to me, is a very good thing — the sort of thing the Academy was founded, back in the day, to recognize.”
He’s already compared Spider-Man: No Way Home to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, making it abundantly clear that Feige won’t be giving up the ghost until the Academy Award nominations are officially announced, even though there’s going to be a high chance he’s left disappointed.
