Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will be released in 2022, broke down the barriers that had been placed between Marvel Studios and the Academy Awards with its release in 2018. Five Oscar nominations were given to the Ryan Coogler-helmed sequel, including Angela Bassett’s nomination for best supporting actress, which became Marvel Studios’ first-ever acting nomination. In addition to Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also up for awards for best original song, best costume design, best hair and makeup, and best visual effects. These five nominations are fewer than those of its predecessor, Black Panther (2018), which got seven nominations overall four years ago.
Given that no performance from the Marvel Studios has ever received an Oscar nomination, Bassett’s nomination is unusual. Further, there aren’t many comic book movie roles that have been praised by the Oscars in general. Both Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix received nominations for their respective performances as the Joker in the films Joker and The Dark Knight. Both men eventually took home the honor.
In the best costume design category, Wakanda Forever will try to continue the franchise’s winning ways after Ruth E. Carter won for the first movie in 2019. The films it competes with include Everything Everywhere All at Once, Babylon, Elvis, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and Elvis.
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Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerova of All Quiet on the Western Front, Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, and Mike Fontaine of The Batman, and Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley of The Whale compete against the amazing makeup and hairstyling skills of Camile Friend and Joel Harlow.
The finest visual effects category will likely be the sequel’s biggest test. Wakanda’s nation and Talokan’s underwater metropolis both left an impression, but they pale in comparison to the Gotham of The Batman and Pandora of Avatar: The Way of the Water, as well as the achievements of Top Gun: Maverick and All Quiet on the Western Front.
