Avengers outrage: Disney submits Black Panther for 16 Oscars but SNUBS Infinity War: WHY?

Hollywood studios have started touting their films with ‘For Your Consideration’ campaigns aimed at the Academy ahead of the 2019 Oscars next February and there are already some major shocks.

Was Black Panther really that much better than Infinity War?

It marked a monumental change in the presentation of diversity in Hollywood and was a great action movie, not to mention a remarkable box office triumph – but is it really deserving of 16 (or any) Oscars?

Infinity War is a towering achievement, bringing together three phases of the MCU and multiple separate franchises into one coherent, dynamic and emotionally layered whole. You will not believe how many categories Disney thinks it deserves an Oscar for. The Russo Brothers deserve far better than this.

One.

Yes one Oscar is all that Infinity War has been submitted for. And it’s in the traditional action blockbuster territory of Best Visual Effects. If Disney were only pursuing the technical awards route, what about Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Costume Design, Cinematography, Production Design, Make-up and Hair Styling?

Black Panther is submitted in all those categories and yet, for example, there was wide acknowledgement that some of its special effects were not its strongest point. Infinity War certainly impressed in all of those categories.

But to even compare the two like this is counter-productive. Leave that to the voters. The simple question is WHY did Disney favour one film so highly over another, arguably bigger success and, some might say, better  film? 

Disney and the makers of Black Panther have made no secret of their Oscar ambitions. It is likely what prompted the much derided decision by the Oscars to launch and then quickly cancel the Most Popular Film category.

The promotion of Black Panther over Infinity War feels rather cynical. The film is rightly seen as a huge advance in the representation of minorities in Hollywood and is a refreshing and affirming sign of social and media change. It is also another fine Marvel movie.

The Oscars have been under increasing pressure in recent years, most notably following the Oscars So White furore, to broaden the diversity of nominees and winners. Voters may feel pressure or swayed to look more favourably on movies which hit this criteria hard.

However, this does not make Black Panther a great Oscar-winning movie.

It is a fine action blockbuster with strong performances and an empowering message. It may be the most important film of the year, but, artistically, it is certainly not the film of the year.

Nor, indeed, is Infinity War, but it certainly deserved a little  more support from its own studio. Clearly a brutal and dispassionate decision was made to focus on the one film that would more likely tempt voters in the current climate. They halved the field to double their chances.

Thanos himself would have approved.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF BLACK PANTHER AND INFINITY WAR OSCAR SUBMISSIONS HERE