8 Comic Book Adaptations Which Were Good Enough To Deserve The "Best Picture" Oscar

Comic book movies are frequently snubbed at the Oscars and during awards season in general, but there are some that were so good, they deserved not just a nomination, but to win with a gold statue.

By JoshWilding - Nov 30, 2016 08:11 AM EST

Filed Under: The Dark Knight

As of right now, comic book movies are easily the biggest and most successful genre in Hollywood and across the globe. Sure, we still get the odd dud, but for the most part, things are looking good for these movies, so why exactly do they still not get any serious awards attention? They've been around for decades now, but not a single one has managed to walk away with the Best Picture gong at the Oscars.

An award like that obviously isn't the be all and end all, but it is a stamp of approval. Throw in the fact that many superhero movies have been every bit as critically acclaimed as the type of films which frequently clean up come awards season, and it's pretty mind-blowing that one has never, well, won.

Anyway, this got me thinking; looking back over the dozens of superhero movies which have graced the big screen over the years, which of them were most deserving of the Best Picture Oscar? It won't surprise you that the likes of Fantastic Four and Suicide Squad aren't included here, though you may still be surprised by some of those I think really did deserve to pick up one of those gold statues...

8. Spider-Man 2

Twelve years after it was first released, Spider-Man 2 remains one of the greatest superhero movies of all-time. Spider-Man was very good, but by the time the sequel rolled around, Sam Raimi had found a winning formula which sadly wasn't recreated in the third instalment. Featuring groundbreaking visual effects, some powerful performances from its leads, and a screenplay as complex and funny as the best Marvel Studios movies, Spider-Man 2 did not disappoint.

The work delivered by Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina should have guaranteed an Oscar nomination, while the fact that Raimi juggled so many different storylines and actually made them all work alongside each other proved that this was filmmaking at its finest. Had it managed to land an Oscar nomination, that scene between Peter Parker and his aunt when he reveals he was responsible for Uncle Ben's death would have no doubt been used!

I know that many of you won't appreciate seeing this movie here, and while I won't deny that some strange storytelling decisions held The Dark Knight Rises back somewhat (just how did Bruce Wayne get back to Gotham City?), it definitely deserves its fair share of praise. Hans Zimmer's score was of course amazing, but Christopher Nolan's decision to have the battle between Batman and Bane feature no music whatsoever was a genius move, and the fact that all we heard was the sound of the fists hitting flesh and grunts of pain made this a fight scene unlike any other in a superhero movie.

Nolan made us fear for the hero's safety and had all of our jaws on the floor when Bane "Broke the Bat," and that makes this a very special movie indeed. However, by far the most powerful moment came when Batman revealed his secret identity to Jim Gordon. Watching that still gives me chills, and the fact that Nolan actually found a way to give the hero's story a fitting end deserved to be recognised.

Back Next

6. Watchmen

Zack Snyder's work in the DC Films Universe may be pretty divisive, but the filmmaker could pretty much do no wrong back when 300 and Watchmen were released. While the latter failed to find a huge audience upon its release, the work put into this adaptation by Snyder was incredible, and fans were left with a very special movie. Slavishly adapting the beloved Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons graphic novel, Watchmen was more akin to an experience than your regular comic book movie, and the visuals were truly breathtaking.

Ultimately, it was probably the violence and oddness of the tale which probably held this one back, but those are also the things which made sure it stood out from the crowd and deserved to receive some sort of recognition. No one had ever made a comic book movie which directly adapted the source material and it hasn't been tried since, and that makes Watchmen a true one of a kind.

Back Next

5. Superman

Superman may not look like much by today's standards, but at the time, it was truly groundbreaking. The movie promised that it would make audiences believe a man could fly, and that it did. Christopher Reeve delivered in a big way here for a relative unknown, while impressive performances from the legends like Marlon Brando and Terrence Stamp ensured that the Man of Steel's first real big screen adventure made a mark.

While the movie received nominations for Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), and Best Sound Mixing (it even received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects), Superman was not given a Best Picture nod, and that's a damn shame. Perhaps people at the time didn't realise just how special this movie was, but that's something which has since become clear when you think about the impact this has had on both the Superman mythos and pop culture as a whole.

Back Next

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I considered putting Captain America: Civil War here, but as great as that movie was (and it's by far the best superhero movie to be released in 2016), I think The Winter Soldier beats it when it comes to Oscar worthiness. Joe and Anthony Russo didn't just exceed expectations here, they blew them away, and we were left with a superhero movie which not only delivered in terms of action and spectacle, but also emotionally too.

The First Avenger brushed over Steve and Bucky's friendship fairly quickly, but this movie managed to make things right with just a flashback. As The Winter Soldier mercilessly beats Captain America, the moment a bloodied Steve tells his old friend that he's with him "Till the end of the line," really is something else and should have even the coldest hearted fan tearing up a little. Arguably Marvel's finest solo outing to date, it's hard to imagine what could beat this in Phase 3 and what upcoming release will ever be as deserving of an Oscar.

Back Next

3. X2: X-Men United

I thought long and hard about which of the X-Men movies - if any - most deserved to be included here (though it's fair to say that The Last Stand was never seriously considered), but it ultimately has to be the Bryan Singer helmed sequel X2. While it's true that it perhaps put a little too much of the spotlight on Wolverine, that takes away nothing from how great a movie this was, and there are a long list of powerful moments which made it worthy of getting an Oscar nod.

From the way Logan's complex relationship with William Stryker (a superb Brian Cox) was handled to the team's visit to the President and amazing action sequences like Nightcrawler's attack on the White House and Wolverine vs. Lady Deathstrike, this was a movie which delivered a lot of very special moments. Singer followed this up with the admittedly amazing Days of Future Past and the not so well-received Apocalypse, but for him and this franchise, this may be as good as it ever gets.

Back Next

2. The Avengers

Joss Whedon's decision to shoot The Avengers in an aspect ration more suitable to a TV show probably didn't help this movie's chances come awards season, but let's face it, the Academy look down on the genre, so it was likely never considered anyway! It really should have been though, because this was a real game changer. Finding the right balance of action, humour, and drama that the Marvel Studios releases have since become known for, The Avengers effortlessly made history by bringing together heroes from different movies, putting them together, and making it work.

The special effects were also incredible, and while the way the Chitauri invasion was handled wasn't exactly perfect, Whedon's script was smart enough that it deserved to be recognised in some way. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and while Infinity War sounds incredible, this was probably Marvel's best shot at getting some serious awards attention for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Back Next

1. The Dark Knight

It had to be this one, didn't it? Heath Ledger may have won a well-deserved posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight, but the fact that the movie was snubbed caused an uproar and led to the rules being changed so that more movies would be given the opportunity to receive a nomination (sadly, that's made little to no difference over the past eight years). While it may not be the most comic book faithful adaptation on this list, The Dark Knight is still a damn masterpiece, and one of the best blockbusters to ever hit the big screen.

Christopher Nolan pretty much revolutionised the industry with his use of IMAX cameras for some of the best sequences ever put on film - that bank robbery was a thing of beauty - while it wasn't just Ledger who delivered an incredible performance here. The fact that this movie didn't score one of those coveted gold statues is probably one of the biggest mistakes ever made by the Academy, and if something like this can't win the big one, what will?

Do you agree that these comic book movies were Oscar worthy? Have we missed any others deserving of a mention here? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the usual place.

Back

REACHER Star Alan Ritchson Continues To Let It Be Known That He Wants To Play BATMAN In James Gunn's DCU

Recommended For You:

Jake Gyllenhaal Recalls Christopher Nolan Calling Him To Reveal He'd Missed Out On BATMAN BEGINS Role

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

328 Comments

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

GinjaNinja - 11/30/2016, 8:38 AM

ogrodafloresta - 11/30/2016, 12:03 PM

@GinjaNinja - @GinjaNinja - The guy just want attention! Watchmen, Avengers and TDKR? Please...

Fogs - 11/30/2016, 12:14 PM

@ogrodafloresta - MY EYES!

Spodermug - 11/30/2016, 8:38 AM

10 Reasons Why Josh Wilding Needs To Stop Writing For This Site.

Evansly - 11/30/2016, 8:56 AM

@Spodermug -

CaptDeadpool - 11/30/2016, 9:20 AM

@Spodermug - I never really minded the "next" articles but this one.... Cmon Josh. None of these were better than the movies that actually won their year. Some on your list aren't even worthy of a nomination let alone a win.
What about Road to Petition, V For Vendetta, History of Violence, Scott Pilgrim? OK joking on the last one

marccampos - 11/30/2016, 8:39 AM

no..

teefurtree - 11/30/2016, 8:41 AM

I think few of these are actually "Best Picture" quality...they are good movies, very good movies even, but in my opinion the list is a little inflated.

JonAwesome - 11/30/2016, 10:44 AM

@teefurtree - I think if you were going to nominate an X-Men movie it would have to be Days of Future Past. I mean I loved X2 but I just don't find it Oscar worthy.

Cooler - 11/30/2016, 8:42 AM

The Dark Knight may be the only one who deserved to be at least nominated imo.

Clundgren - 11/30/2016, 9:07 AM

@Cooler - Pretty much. And it shouldn't have won. The rest are fun, well-made popcorn films (mostly, the Watchmen kind of sucks). Let's not try to make them something they aren't.

Plus, the list didn't include the best superhero film of all time, The Incredibles.

slickrickdesigns - 11/30/2016, 8:42 AM

switch out TDKR for Ironman 1.

Sickness1 - 11/30/2016, 8:43 AM

Suicide squad iron man 3 the original captain America,Steele,

musim - 11/30/2016, 8:45 AM

Dark Knight, Cap: TWS, sure. The rest no. History of Violence deserves to be on that list too.

CaptDeadpool - 11/30/2016, 9:14 AM

@musim - how about Road to Perdition

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Related Headlines

Joker

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX's First Trailer Debuts To Over 167 Million Views In Its First 24 Hours

MarkJulian

Apr 12, 2024 08:04 AM

Batman (Animated)

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

MarkJulian

Apr 11, 2024 08:04 AM

Joker

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Director Todd Phillips On Casting Lady Gaga As Harley Quinn & Sequel's Musical Elements

MarkCassidy

Apr 10, 2024 10:04 AM

Related Headlines

Joker

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX's First Trailer Debuts To Over 167 Million Views In Its First 24 Hours

MarkJulian

Apr 12, 2024 08:04 AM

Batman (Animated)

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

MarkJulian

Apr 11, 2024 08:04 AM

Joker

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Director Todd Phillips On Casting Lady Gaga As Harley Quinn & Sequel's Musical Elements

MarkCassidy

Apr 10, 2024 10:04 AM

Joker

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX - Arthur Fleck Isn't Alone Anymore... In First Trailer For Joaquin Phoenix's DC Sequel

RohanPatel

Apr 09, 2024 09:04 PM

Joker

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX: First Teaser Features The Return Of Joaquin Phoenix As Arthur Fleck

MarkCassidy

Apr 09, 2024 11:04 AM

The Dark Knight

Star Wars

SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood Has Reportedly Been Cast In STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE In Mystery Role

JoshWilding

14 mins ago

Marvel Comics

VENOM WAR Details And Teaser Reveal Marvel Comics' Plan For A Symbiote Showdown To Decide The New Venom

JoshWilding

32 mins ago

Latest Headlines

Daredevil

DAREDEVIL: Ben Affleck's 2003 Marvel Movie Gets A Surprise Disney+ Premiere Date

JoshWilding

9 mins ago

Star Wars

SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood Has Reportedly Been Cast In STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE In Mystery Role

JoshWilding

14 mins ago

Marvel Comics

VENOM WAR Details And Teaser Reveal Marvel Comics' Plan For A Symbiote Showdown To Decide The New Venom

JoshWilding

32 mins ago

Disney

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

MarkCassidy

7 hours ago

No Way Home

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

JoshWilding

14 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

JoshWilding

15 hours ago

Hot Headlines

113 comments

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

107 comments

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

95 comments

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score (And It's Zack Snyder's Worst-Reviewed Movie Yet)

JoshWilding

16 hours ago EST

94 comments

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

MarkCassidy

2 days ago EST

92 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

TRANSFORMERS ONE Character Posters Highlight The Movie's Divisive Animation Style

More Cartoons & Animated ►

DIABLO Lead Rod Fergusson On The Possibility Of A TV Series Adaptation

More Anime & Manga ►

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

More Horror ►

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not...

More Action Movies & TV ►

The Undertaker Talks Relationship With The Rock Following WRESTLEMANIA Clash As Final Boss Vows Revenge

More Pro Wrestling ►

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Stills Showcase Anya Taylor-Joy's Road Warrior And Chris Hemsworth's Dementus

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

8 Comic Book Adaptations Which Were Good Enough To Deserve The "Best Picture" Oscar

Comic book movies are frequently snubbed at the Oscars and during awards season in general, but there are some that were so good, they deserved not just a nomination, but to win with a gold statue.

8. Spider-Man 2

7. The Dark Knight Rises

6. Watchmen

5. Superman

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

3. X2: X-Men United

2. The Avengers

1. The Dark Knight

REACHER Star Alan Ritchson Continues To Let It Be Known That He Wants To Play BATMAN In James Gunn's DCU

Jake Gyllenhaal Recalls Christopher Nolan Calling Him To Reveal He'd Missed Out On BATMAN BEGINS Role

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX's First Trailer Debuts To Over 167 Million Views In Its First 24 Hours

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Director Todd Phillips On Casting Lady Gaga As Harley Quinn & Sequel's Musical Elements

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX's First Trailer Debuts To Over 167 Million Views In Its First 24 Hours

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Director Todd Phillips On Casting Lady Gaga As Harley Quinn & Sequel's Musical Elements

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX - Arthur Fleck Isn't Alone Anymore... In First Trailer For Joaquin Phoenix's DC Sequel

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX: First Teaser Features The Return Of Joaquin Phoenix As Arthur Fleck

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY Writer Jonathan Nolans Reveals The Riddler Was Considered (And Why He Didn't Appear)

Popular Headlines

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Happy Meal Toys Reveal A First Look At MCU’s Take On Red Hulk

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Theatre Standee Gives Us A New Live-Action Look At Logan And Wade Wilson

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

DAREDEVIL: Ben Affleck's 2003 Marvel Movie Gets A Surprise Disney+ Premiere Date

SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood Has Reportedly Been Cast In STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE In Mystery Role

VENOM WAR Details And Teaser Reveal Marvel Comics' Plan For A Symbiote Showdown To Decide The New Venom

DAREDEVIL: Ben Affleck's 2003 Marvel Movie Gets A Surprise Disney+ Premiere Date

SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood Has Reportedly Been Cast In STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE In Mystery Role

VENOM WAR Details And Teaser Reveal Marvel Comics' Plan For A Symbiote Showdown To Decide The New Venom

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

Hot Headlines

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score (And It's Zack Snyder's Worst-Reviewed Movie Yet)

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Stills Showcase Anya Taylor-Joy's Road Warrior And Chris Hemsworth's Dementus

THE ACOLYTE Has Reportedly Added SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood In A Mystery Role

SNOW WHITE Rumors May Clear Up "Seven Dwarfs" Confusion; Rachel Zegler's Princess Will Be "More Independent"

Cartoons & Animated Features

TRANSFORMERS ONE Character Posters Highlight The Movie's Divisive Animation Style

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

TRANSFORMERS ONE Trailer Reveals The Origins Of Optimus Prime And Megatron

Gaming

DIABLO Lead Rod Fergusson On The Possibility Of A TV Series Adaptation

Bethesda's Todd Howard On What's Next: ELDER SCROLLS VI, FALLOUT 5, And STARFIELD

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed AND Canceled As Season 5 Is Confirmed To Be The Show's Last

Anime & Manga

SPY X FAMILY CODE: WHITE Hits North America Theaters Today

MY HERO ACADEMIA: MEMORIES English Dub Streams Coming To Crunchyroll This Weekend

Studio Ghibli's SPIRITED AWAY Is Returning To U.S. Theaters This Month

Horror

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Action Movies & TV

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

The Undertaker Talks Relationship With The Rock Following WRESTLEMANIA Clash As Final Boss Vows Revenge

Damian Priest Reflects On How It Felt To Cash In His Money In The Bank Briefcase At WRESTLEMANIA

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have "No Regrets" After Airing ALL IN Footage

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Stills Showcase Anya Taylor-Joy's Road Warrior And Chris Hemsworth's Dementus

THE ACOLYTE Has Reportedly Added SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood In A Mystery Role

SNOW WHITE Rumors May Clear Up "Seven Dwarfs" Confusion; Rachel Zegler's Princess Will Be "More Independent"

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Been Revealed (And It's Not Good)

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed For A Fifth And FINAL Season; Will Adapt Final THREE Books

REBEL MOON: PART TWO - THE SCARGIVER First Reactions Land Ahead Of Netflix Premiere

Cartoons & Animated Features

TRANSFORMERS ONE Character Posters Highlight The Movie's Divisive Animation Style

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion