Kevin Feige Addresses Bias Against Comic Book Movies: "We Are Always at a Deficit"

While comic book movies always dominate the box office charts, they don't always get a lot of awards recognition, save it for the visual effects and other technical categories. But things are starting to change when Black Panther became the first-ever comic book movie to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Despite that, comic book movies are still mostly absent in major award categories and, now, the producer behind the most successful comic book movie franchise is speaking about it.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige reflected on the time when Black Panther received Oscar nominations, but also addressed the awards bias against the comic book genre. He said, "I think we are always at a deficit because of the Marvel logo and because of a genre bias that certainly exists. I just loved that for a shining moment there with Black Panther that was put aside and the work was recognized for the achievement that it was."

He also expressed his hopes that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will also get the same recognition this awards season, "There are a lot of comic fans that didn’t know who Shang-Chi was. And yet the work that Destin [Daniel Cretton] did and Dave [Callahan] did and Sue [Chan] did and Joel [West] did, created something new that connected with audiences. We recognized it, the audience recognized it, and I sure would love the hard work of all of these people who are telling their story to get recognized."

It is unfortunate that comic book movies are not being taken seriously as most awards prefer to honor films that are so-called "Oscar bait movies" such as biopics or a project that is directed by a well-respected filmmaker. We can all agree that comic book movies also deserve some recognition in major categories. Hopefully, Black Panther and Joker are the beginning of comic book movies getting more awards love.

Also Read: WandaVision Stars Receive Golden Globe Nominations

Will Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (or other great comic book movies released this year) follow in their footsteps? We will find out soon as the current awards season is gearing up.