8 comic-book movies that have broken through at the Oscars, including 'Joker' and 'Black Panther'

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8 comic-book movies that have broken through at the Oscars, including 'Joker' and 'Black Panther'
joker
  • "Joker" landed the most Oscar nominations of any movie on Monday with 11, including best picture.
  • It comes a year after "Black Panther" became the first comic-book movie to be nominated for best picture.
  • The two movies might hint at a brighter future for the genre at the Oscars, but they're not the first to gain major nominations.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Comic-book movies are slowly breaking through at the Oscars.

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Over a decade after 2008's "The Dark Knight" infamously lost out on a best-picture nomination, another movie featuring Batman's greatest foe, The Joker, landed the most nominations of any movie.

"Joker," the R-rated origin movie directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, was nominated for 11 Oscars on Monday, including best picture. It comes a year after Marvel's "Black Panther" scored seven nominations, including best picture, and won three, the first wins for Marvel Studios.

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"Joker" and "Black Panther," which both grossed over $1 billion worldwide, have carved out new paths for comic-book movies at the Oscars. Plenty of superhero movies have gained nominations in technical categories like visual effects throughout the years, but these two movies might hint at a brighter future for the genre during awards season.

Still, while comic-book movies hadn't been nominated for best picture prior to "Black Panther," some had been nominated for other major categories like screenplay, animated feature, or in acting categories.

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They include last year's best animated-feature winner, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," and movies general audiences may not know are based on comic books, such as the 2005 crime drama, "A History of Violence," which is based on a 1997 graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke.

Below are eight comic-book movies that have broken through in major ways at the Oscars:

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"Joker" (2019)

"Joker" (2019)

Number of nominations: 11

Nominations included: Picture, director — Todd Phillips, actor —Joaquin Phoenix, adapted screenplay, cinematography, costume design, makeup and hairstyling, original score, film editing, sound mixing, sound editing

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 69%

What critics said: "It's hard to say if the muddle 'Joker' makes of itself arises from confusion or cowardice, but the result is less a depiction of nihilism than a story about nothing." — New York Times

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018)

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018)

Number of nominations: 1 (1 win)

Nominations included: Animated feature (won)

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 97%

What critics said: "The delights of 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' bring a newfound sense of joy and playfulness to the beloved character." — Tribune News Service

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"Black Panther" (2018)

"Black Panther" (2018)

Number of nominations: 7 (3 wins)

Nominations included: Picture, production design (won), costume design (won), original score (won), original song, sound editing, sound mixing

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 97%

What critics said: "Whether or not this is the best film Marvel Studios has made to date — and it is clearly in the discussion — it is by far the most thought-provoking." — The Atlantic

"Logan" (2017)

"Logan" (2017)

Number of nominations: 1

Nominations included: Adapted screenplay

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 93%

What critics said: "Make no mistake, Logan earns its tears. If Jackman and Stewart are serious about this being their mutual X-Men swan song, they could not have crafted a more heartfelt valedictory." — Rolling Stone

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"Big Hero 6" (2014)

"Big Hero 6" (2014)

Number of nominations: 1 (1 win)

Nominations included: Animated feature (won)

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

What critics said: "Big Hero 6, the first Marvel comic book to get a Walt Disney makeover, is a beguiling kids movie. It is also a beauty to behold for its skillful digital animation in 3D." — Toronto Sun

"The Dark Knight" (2008)

"The Dark Knight" (2008)

Number of nominations: 8 (2 wins)

Nominations included: Supporting actor — Heath Ledger (won), sound editing (won), film editing, cinematography, art direction, makeup, sound mixing, visual effects

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 94%

What critics said: "Christopher Nolan wanted to make an action movie that was different from other action movies — darker, more twisted, more despairing, more bleak — and he has mostly succeeded in this latest Batman installment. He can thank Ledger for a lot of that." — San Francisco Chronicle

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"A History of Violence" (2005)

"A History of Violence" (2005)

Number of nominations: 2

Nominations included: Supporting actor — William Hurt, adapted screenplay

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 87%

What critics said: "Cronenberg isn't engaging in parody or irony. Nor is he nihilistically pandering to our worst impulses: the filmmaking is too measured and too intelligent. He implicitly respects us and our responses, even when those responses are silly or disturbing." — Chicago Reader

"Dick Tracy" (1990)

"Dick Tracy" (1990)

Number of nominations: 7 (3 wins)

Nominations included: Supporting actor — Al Pacino, art direction/set decoration (won), makeup (won), original song (won), cinematography, costume design, sound

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 63%

What critics said: "Beatty and his team of collaborators have heightened the vibrantly tawdry urban night world of Chester Gould's classic comic strip." — Entertainment Weekly

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