‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Deserved an Oscar Nomination on the Recent Shortlist

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As awards season progresses, the competition for Oscars is getting tighter. Everyone is focused on major awards like Best Picture and acting prizes, but the technical categories are also becoming clearer. The Academy Awards shortlist for this year includes twelve categories: documentary and international films, original song and score, visual effects, cinematography, sound, makeup and hairstyling, animated and live-action shorts, documentary shorts, and the newly added Best Casting award.

Generally, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films haven’t been major players at the Oscars, with Black Panther being a notable exception. It’s often said that big budgets are meant to support quality, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps seemed poised to finally earn some recognition. While it wasn’t expected to win major awards like Best Picture or acting accolades, the film was technically impressive. However, it surprisingly received no nominations in categories where it deserved consideration, particularly for its score. Meanwhile, despite receiving negative reviews, Captain America: Brave New World is surprisingly in contention for an award.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Iconic Score Has Already Been Snubbed


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The biggest surprise was that Michael Giacchino’s score for The Fantastic Four: First Steps wasn’t nominated for an award. Despite past criticism of music in Marvel movies, this score was widely considered one of the best in the entire franchise. The uplifting theme, first revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, quickly became popular and gave Marvel’s First Family the iconic musical identity they’d always needed. Before the movie even came out, a short clip of the score saying “Fantastic Four!” became a viral sensation. The music was instantly recognizable and crossed over into mainstream culture, becoming as strongly associated with these characters as the themes for Batman or Spider-Man are with those heroes.

The Fantastic Four didn’t just have a fantastic theme song—the entire musical score was exceptional. Tracks like “Lightspeed of Your Life,” which accompanies the Silver Surfer’s chase, and “Starship Birth” are truly beautiful and rank among the best music in any Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Michael Giacchino clearly delivered an amazing score, but surprisingly, it wasn’t even considered for an award nomination. To make matters worse, the score for Captain America: Brave New World did make the shortlist.

Just to be upfront, I’ve previously interviewed Laura Karpman, the composer for Captain America: Brave New World, and also for The Marvels. She’s a pleasure to work with, and I’ve really enjoyed her music in Marvel projects like The Marvels and What If…?. I’m thrilled her Captain America score was nominated. However, of the three MCU scores, I found the Captain America: Brave New World score to be the least impactful. While it’s a strong part of the movie, none of the music reaches the same level as the theme from The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Underrated Original Song Was Also Snubbed


Disney

Despite its strengths, The Fantastic Four: First Steps wasn’t nominated for awards in Visual Effects or Original Song. While its effects aren’t as groundbreaking as those in Avatar: Fire and Ash, they are comparable to films like Superman and Jurassic World: Rebirth – and arguably of higher quality than the latter. It’s particularly frustrating to see Electric State, a film with weaker results, considered for the Visual Effects award while The Fantastic Four: First Steps is overlooked. The stunning scene of the Silver Surfer chasing the team near a neutron star deserved recognition, yet it was passed over in favor of the effects in a poorly received, expensive Netflix film. The detailed miniature work used for Galactus’s scenes was also quite impressive and seemingly went unnoticed.

At this point, the Best Song nomination seems to be a contest between KPop Demon Hunters and Sinners, with “Golden” from the animated Netflix film currently leading the way. It’s disappointing, though, that a strong song like Andrea Datzman’s “Let Us Be Devoured” isn’t being considered. Marvel and Disney could have helped its chances by promoting the folk-inspired track more and not just including it in the film’s credits.

Despite being a fantastic song that perfectly embodies the 1960s folk movement and the film’s story – told through the eyes of a religious group – it wasn’t eligible for nomination. This contrasts with the heavily promoted but underwhelming original songs from Wicked: For Good – “No Place Like Home” and “Girl in a Bubble” – which made the shortlist, proving that nominations often depend more on marketing than actual quality.

‘The Fantastic Four’ Has Two More Shots at an Oscar (But Outlook is Not So Good)


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Currently, The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ best chances for an Academy Award seem to be in the categories of Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Many viewers praised the film’s unique and striking retro-future design. However, it’s facing tough competition, especially from bigger sci-fi and fantasy films like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wicked: For Good, which are likely to be nominated for Best Production Design. While the film’s 1960s style could earn it a Best Costume Design nomination, the Academy Awards haven’t historically favored superhero movies when it comes to recognizing costume design.

While The Fantastic Four: First Steps wasn’t expected to win major awards, its strong technical aspects – including beautiful sets, impressive visual effects, and a memorable score – led some to hope for recognition. It doesn’t reach the heights of films like One Battle After Another or Sinners, but it’s comparable to Wicked: For Good. In fact, Electric State and Captain America: Brave New World seem more likely to receive Academy Award nominations, which feels a little unfair given the effort put into The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

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2025-12-18 21:33