Angela Bassett Makes Marvel History With Her 2023 Oscar Nomination

Jan 26

Each year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrates some of the best work the film industry around the world produces each year during its annual Oscars ceremony. When the 2023 Academy Awards nominations were announced Tuesday morning Angela Bassett made history with her Best Supporting Actress nod, becoming the first actor in a Marvel movie to earn a nomination for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Marvel movies have earned Oscar nominations and wins in the past, including a Best Picture nomination for 2018’s Black Panther. But no actor has ever received a nomination for their work in an MCU film — until now.

The actress spoke to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week about her historic achievement, saying it wasn’t something she thought about until recently:

“I certainly didn’t think about that going into the first day of filming — I began to hear about that a couple of weeks ago,” says Bassett of the potential for setting a new standard for Marvel actors. “Others have pondered that reality, but it certainly wasn’t me. I’m grateful for the role and the opportunity to work with the incredible artists, the amazing crew and artisans behind the scenes.”

This isn’t Bassett’s first Oscar nomination. She was nominated for Best Actress in 1993 for her work in the Tina Turner biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It. The actress has already won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for her performance as Queen Ramonda in Wakanda Forever, as well as earning a BAFTA nomination.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever received a total of five Oscar nominations including: Best Costume Design, Best Original Song, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects.

The 2023 Academy Awards ceremony will be live on ABC on Sunday, March 27 at 8 PM ET. You can catch Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when it becomes available to stream on Disney+ on February 1. Keep going for the film’s official teaser trailer below:

Marena Bronson is an award-winning journalist, a life-long nerd, and the Editor-in-Chief of Fashion and Fandom. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.