So get this: Variety dropped a prediction that The Fantastic Four: First Steps would get a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 2026 Oscar ceremony. What?! Two years in advance and they are already talking about it? Crazy. The Tweet from cosmic_marvel got crazy reactions from gamers and movie buffs; some were hype, others skeptical, and some mocked it outright.
Right away, Babylonia had mixed responses. One user called Marvin_Martinez simply nodded along with it, saying, “So you agree? The movie’s phenomenal” followed by a fire emoji. And Jacob Barajas screamed for the score: “WHERE’S THE SCORE!!!” And he’s right; visuals can only go so far; music hits differently.
The fanbar arrived. The usual drill. HavonoVT put it against Superman; he said, “Superman is really good But this is just better.” Then came Logan with hate, “Shit looks like concrete, like any other MCU slop.” That was tough to hear, man.
The thing that everyone keeps bringing up? Avatar. Like AD just said, “Avatar vs fantastic four for best visual effects” and for real… that might actually constitute the real competition. Ti’plouf agreed: “As it should! But Avatar will win anyway…” which track, though, Oscars do love to party in Pandora.
But then there is this whole other minority believing the Oscars are conspiring against Marvel. MARTI went into a TMZ-style rant: “Let’s be real, they will not win. The Oscars doesn’t like Marvel Studios, they would give it to a Spy Kids movie rather than to a MCU movie if that was possible.” And he wasn’t alone. Mahmudur Rahman came in, “This is not new for Marvel. But they won’t win.” Like they’ve accepted defeat even though the movie’s not really up for anything yet? So weird.
Then you’ve got the real fans, those who have seen it or simply just crazy hopeful. ThatzJay stated, “I hope a marvel movie can win an at least 1 Oscar,” and stranger things have happened. Prudence Doyle came for it, saying, “They better win!!” with a determined emoji. And they probably have more words than anyone has time for: Tejan Shrivastava talked about seeing it in IMAX, saying the space scene alone deserves that nomination. Immediately, following with a mini-review saying the experience was “FANT4STIC” (heh) and ranking it as his “favorite superhero movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home.” That’s high praise.
He mentioned aspect ratio and bass, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm as his fave, then the space sequence and Galactus being worthy of his money for admission. This is how you get a VFX nod, for sure. Phantom silence followed by thunderous applause? That is the goal.
Then you got the sad killer among fanaticism: carter slade crushed the vibe with, “They’re not winning anything.” Followed by the richest DC vs Marvel drama, Reakwan🥷🏾 recalling, “those sad ass DC fans were clowning our CGI from a FUCKING COMMERCIAL.” It never ends.
So what’s thrice? Is the CGI in Fantastic Four really that good? From Tejan’s description, it sure seems to be. Immersive visuals in IMAX, earth-shaking bass, a massive cosmic entity like Galactus… that’s Oscar bait in disguise. Then, though, there’s history: Marvel movies get nominated for VFX ad infinitum—Black Panther, Infinity War, Endgame—but winning?? That’s another story. They always seem to lose to something like First Man or The Jungle Book or, you know, Avatar.
It’s a weird spot. The work these VFX artists do is insane, the hours are brutal, and the results are often spectacular. But the Academy can be snobby about superhero flicks. They see them as popcorn movies, not ~cinema~, even though the technical achievement is undeniable. It’s like they respect the craft but not the genre, which is kinda messed up when you think about it.
Nonetheless, the buzz is there. Variety doesn’t just throw these predictions out for no reason. They must have sighted something, heard something that made them think this one stands out from the usual Marvel crowd. Maybe it’s the ’60s aesthetic, the cosmic stuff, the practical effects mixed with CGI… who knows. But it has people talking, and that in itself is half the battle. Whether it actually wins in 2026 is another question, and honestly, by then, we’ll probably be talking about the next big thing. But for now, the Fantastic Four is stepping into awards conversation, and that’s a pretty fantastic first step. Get it. First Steps. I’ll see myself out.
