Oppenheimer Gets The Worst Possible Oscars Snub Because Of Marvel

With 20 films off the shortlist, it’s a pretty surprising omission especially when films that were criticized for their CGI, like Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are on the list. 

Oppenheimer’s creative use of visual effects to depict the way Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer saw the world, along with the effects used to create the atomic bomb test explosion, seemed like a shoo-in for the visual effects category.

While Marvel films deserve to be on the list, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it is surprising to see that all three MCU releases made the shortlist this year over one of Christopher Nolan’s biggest cinematic achievements. Oppenheimer was just that good.

Especially considering the Academy is often eager to nominate Nolan in this category, with his 2020 film Tenet even taking home the win at that year’s Oscars.

The omission of Oppenheimer and the addition of all Marvel Cinematic Universe films is a bit questionable. However, there are still plenty of films deserving of the nomination on this list.

Oppenheimer’s opening weekend competition/accidental serendipitous box office booster Barbie is on the list for its creative use of the Barbie aesthetic to create a live-action world.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse once again wowed audiences by pushing the limits of animation and blending a plethora of animation techniques.

While Marvel is definitely a strong presence on this shortlist, DC actually missed out on quite a few of its releases this year. Films like The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods were omitted while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom made the cut.

Critical and commercial darlings like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Godzilla Minus One, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One also are there.

Meanwhile, more grounded visual effects from films like The Boys in the Boat, Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, and Poor Things also made the cut.

With the sheer variety of films on the shortlist, Oppenheimer certainly deserved a spot.

But for those who are curious, the full list is as follows: Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Barbie, The Boys in the Boat, The Creator, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Godzilla Minus One, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Plus, there is also Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Marvels, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Napoleon, Nyad, Poor Things, Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire, Society of the Snow, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Wonka.

Out of these films, only five will be selected, so it remains to be seen which ones get the official nomination.

The official nominees for the 96th Academy Awards are set to be announced on January 23.

The awards ceremony will take place on March 10, 2024. While Oppenheimer may not be getting a visual effects nod over Marvel, we can expect to see the film nominated in numerous other categories.