Why 'Logan's Oscar Nomination Is a Major Milestone for Superhero Movies

The 2018 Oscar Nominees were announced today, and the comic book movie genre will be represented [...]

The 2018 Oscar Nominees were announced today, and the comic book movie genre will be represented at the prestigious awards show this year - and not just in the usual audio/visual effects categories. Fox's Wolverine trilogy finale Logan was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and while fans of the film are already psyched, this nomination is actually a much bigger milestone.

Logan is officially the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and breaking into that particular category is a real achievement worth focusing on. The "Adapted Screenplay" category means that director James Mangold and Co. are being credited for taking the Wolverine character and his stories from the Marvel Comics medium, and translating that to the screen; therefore, we can now officially talk about superhero comics as potentially Oscar-worthy stories, with total legitimacy.

It may seem trivial to some, but for those fans who have been championing the comic book format as a medium that is as legitimate as literary novels, this is a big step forward. Many fans and mainstream moviegoers alike already know just how artistically relevant Logan is, as director James Mangold took the pulpy X-Men movie franchise and transformed it into dark and serious dramatic superhero swan song that showcased the cinematic heights this genre can rise to - even with the limitation of R-Rated adult fare.

Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees 2018

  • "Call Me by Your Name," James Ivory
  • "The Disaster Artist," Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
  • "Logan," Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
  • "Molly's Game," Aaron Sorkin
  • "Mudbound," Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
Logan Oscar Nomination Milestone 2018

Looking at the list above, comic book fans should take pride. Imagine seeing this lineup of novels that spawned Oscar-nominated films, with the Old Man Logan graphic novel standing out prominently in the bunch. It's a good feeling, no doubt.

As for Logan's chances of winning? Who knows. The competition is tight with the likes of Aaron Sorkin in the mix, and the Academy members voting on a comic book movie to win seems like a long shot. But if nothing else James Mangold, Hugh Jackman and Co. have broken one more glass ceiling for comic book culture, and that's already a big win.

Logan is now available on digital HD, home video, and airing on HBO. The 2018 Academy Awards air on March 4th @ 8/7c.

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