LOS ANGELES — Queen Ramonda forever.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's" Angela Bassett broke new ground for the Marvel Cinematic Universe when the 2023 Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday morning. Bassett, who portrays the grieving queen mother in Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" sequel, has been nominated for a supporting actress Oscar. She is the first actor to be recognized by the academy for a performance in an MCU project.
Bassett has already picked up a number of accolades for her portrayal of Queen Ramonda this awards season. Among the higher-profile accolades are winning the Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards for supporting actress. She has also been nominated for a SAG Award.
This is Bassett's second Oscar nomination following her 1994 lead actress nomination for portraying Tina Turner in "What's Love Got to Do With It." Bassett joins Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Whoopi Goldberg as one of the few Black women who have received multiple acting Oscar nods.
Director Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" set the bar for Marvel Studios in 2019 when it became the first MCU film to earn an Oscar nomination for best picture. The 2018 film, starring the late Chadwick Boseman as King T'Challa, was nominated in seven total Oscar categories, and won for costume design, production design and original score. These are the only Academy Awards ever won by any Marvel Studios film.
While it has been rare for a comic book superhero film to be recognized in any of the top Oscar categories, let alone win, there is precedent. Joaquin Phoenix won the Academy Award for lead actor in 2020 for his performance as Arthur Fleck in "Joker." In 2009, Phoenix's Joker predecessor Heath Ledger won a posthumous supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of the villain in "The Dark Knight."
The 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 12.
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