In a sea of superhero fatigue, everyone’s favorite web-slinger remains bulletproof with audiences. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has put up a historic opening weekend box office, rivaling “Avengers: Endgame,” which is crazy to imagine given the amount of anticipation behind that gigantic film following “Avengers: Infinity War.” While filmmaker Daniel Destin Cretton aimed to achieve more of the superhero spectacle practically, it still takes a lot of magic to bring the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man to life. Plenty of visual effects are involved in that process. So, how does the success of this latest film and Cretton’s work spell out a path for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” to swing toward a Best Visual Effects nomination at this year’s Academy Awards?
Plenty is working in favor of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” including the likely chances of it being added to the Academy shortlist for Best Visual Effects. It will be on everyone’s radar as it’s poised to be one of, if not the, highest-grossing films of the year. Marvel films are not always guaranteed a Best Visual Effects nomination. Yet, fourteen MCU films have earned this recognition, including one Tom Holland-led “Spider-Man” film. The series officially entered the club after “No Way Home” received that nomination in 2021. The added elements of the Hulk, acrobatic ninjas fighting mid-air, and everything Sadie Sink’s mysterious character conjures provide plenty of visual variety on top of Spidey feats that would win the hearts of the VFX branch for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
It would be hard to ignore one of the most talked-about movies of the year in this category, but the VFX branch has rejected work that didn’t meet their standards plenty of times before. Looking at things as objectively as possible, this is the only category where “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has a realistic shot of receiving any kind of Oscar recognition. If it isn’t Best Visual Effects or Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Marvel films tend to be ignored by almost every other branch of the Academy. That is, of course, unless you’re a Ryan Coogler-directed “Black Panther” film, then the sky is the limit, including Best Picture.
Looking back, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” benefited from an incredibly weak year in 2021. The lack of heavy visual effects films in the first year following the pandemic in Best Visual Effects helped it get in and put it alongside “Shang-Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings.” It was the first Marvel Studios-era “Spider-Man” film to earn an Academy Award nomination, and the only nomination it received (We don’t count the short-lived Oscars Cheer Moment and Oscars Fan Favorite categories). “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” for all its success, isn’t going to catch the same break this year. It will go up against a murderers’ row of strong competitors such as “The Odyssey,” “Dune: Part Three,” and “Godzilla: Minus Zero.” Plenty of contenders outside the box, like “Whalefall” and “The End of Oak Street,” could find their way into the race too, especially given how inspired the Academy can sometimes be with their inclusions in below-the-line categories.
The biggest question is how much “Avengers: Doomsday” will undercut “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” with a big push by Disney and the stronger momentum that December releases can have during awards season. Three of the four “Avengers” films have earned nominations in this category compared to one for the “Spider-Man” series. What would really help “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a clear difference in the quality of visual effects between the two films. If “Avengers: Doomsday” doesn’t meet the high standards set by audiences, both critically and visually, it makes sense that the visual effects branch would pivot fully to “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” With a good push by Sony and audience love firmly behind it as it sets its sights on a mammoth $2 billion box office run, it could still swing and land in the final five on Oscar nomination morning.
Who do you think? Could “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” get nominated for Best Visual Effects? Will “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Avengers: Doomsday” both be nominated? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.
