Angela Bassett is the first Marvel actor to be nominated for Oscar for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Angela Bassett has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This is a first for Marvel as their actors have famously missed out on nods during award season.

Angela Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gained buzz among fans the moment the trailer for the film dropped which only increased when the film came to cinemas. Fans and critics alike praised her for the emotion and strength she portrayed as the Matriarch of Wakanda.

Many were calling for her to be nominated, but very few expected it given the fact that MCU projects have constantly been snubbed during awards season or given a single nomination for best effects.

However, that all changed thanks to Angela Bassett. Just a matter of weeks ago Bassett made history as the first Marvel actor to take home a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress for her stunning performance in the Black Panther sequel.

During her speech, she thanked the passionate Marvel fans and gave a nod to the late Chadwick Boseman who played Black Panther before his death in 2020. She said: “I stand here grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press [Assoc.] for giving me this honor along with Wakanda Forever,” Bassett said in her acceptance speech. “We embarked on this journey together with love. We mourned, we loved, we healed. And we will be surrounding each and every day by the light in the spirit of Chadwick Boseman.

She added: “And to the Marvel fans,” Bassett concluded, “thank you for embracing these characters and showing us so much love. We just made history with this nomination and with this award. It belongs to all of you, all of us.”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe first started with Iron Man in 2008 starring Robert Downey Jr. and has since developed 30 films that all link in some way no matter how small or big the crossover is.

As the MCU developed and we got the first big crossover event with The Avengers, fans were quick to notice the lack of female leads in the franchise - with Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow being the only female in the original six piece line-up of The Avengers. Of which, the franchise was criticised for her initial portrayal.

However, as the franchise has developed they have made it clear that women are leading the charge as we move into future phases of the franchise. From Shuri picking up the Black Panther mantle to Wanda becoming more powerful, the women of Marvel are at the forefront more than ever.

The first female led Marvel film was Captain Marvel which came in 2019 with Brie Larson starring as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, which then went on to be the first ever MCU film to bag £1 billion at the box office.