Disney has officially launched its For Your Consideration website for its 2019 films vying for Oscars this year, andAvengers: Endgame—the highest-grossing movie of all time—is being pushed in a number of categories. A year after Marvel/Disney’sBlack Pantherbecame the first superhero movie nominated for Best Picture, the Mouse House is pushingEndgamein Best Picture as well as Best Director forAnthonyandJoe Russo, Best Adapted Screenplay forChristopher MarkusandStephen McFeely, Best Cinematography forTrent Opaloch, Best Original Score forAlan Silvestri, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects.
And that’s it. Those areall the categories listedin which Disney will be pushingAvengers: Endgame. Notice anything? Yeah, noRobert Downey Jr.Despite the Russo Brothers saying earlier this year the only Oscar recognition they cared about forEndgamewas Best Actor consideration for Downey, it doesn’t appear as though Disney will be pushing any individualEndgameactors for Oscars this year.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Downeycan’tbe considered or nominated, but campaigns are more often than not a significant reason why certain films and performers are actually nominated for Oscars (it costs money to keep those names in voters’ heads), and given thatEndgamealready faces an uphill battle as a superhero movie, Downey probably could use the push.
It’s possible Disney didn’t want to play favorites and risk alienating any of the rest of the ensemble, and thus opted not to push any single actor from the film. But still, Downey originated the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and was its anchor for 22 films. Surely if anyone deserved special treatmentfor the concluding chapter, it was Downey. Moreover, the guy gives a genuinely terrific performance—not just for a superhero movie, for a movie period.
Downey has previously been nominated for two Oscars for his performances inTropic ThunderandChaplin, and again I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility that he lands in the Best Actor race if Academy members decide they really want to honorAvengers: Endgame. But it’s a bummer to see that Disney won’t be putting in the extra work to try and get him there, especially in a year where the Best Actor field is already crowded with the likes ofAdam Driver,Joaquin Phoenix,Robert De Niro,Eddie Murphy,Matt Damon, andChristian Bale, among others.
As for the film’s chances as a whole, I wrote before thatAvengers: Endgamecertainly deserves Best Picture consideration, and history is on its side. It’s the highest-grossing movie in history, and past films to earn that title includeAvatar,Titanic,E.T.,Jaws,The Godfather, andStar Wars—all Best Picture nominees. The last “highest-grossing film ever” not to earn a Best Picture nomination wasJurassic Park.
So yeah, we’ll see how things progress. I think at the very least the film is in line for three nominations—the sound awards and visual effects—and depending on how the Best Picture field shakes out, could crack that top category. AlthoughifJokermakes it in, would the Academy want to recognize two comic book movies in the same year? We shall see…
For more on the Oscar race,check out my recent Oscar Beat columns.
