Avengers: Endgame cast submitted for Oscar consideration

Earlier this year, Avengers: Endgame overtook Avatar to become the highest-grossing movie of all time, with global takings of $2.797 billion.

The movie ended Robert Downey Jr.'s stint as Iron Man and acted as the penultimate chapter in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – but is all this record-shattering success enough to warrant Oscar consideration?

Distributor Disney clearly thinks so – Collider reports that they've submitted 13 of the core Avengers: Endgame cast members for Oscar nominations. We already knew that Robert Downey Jr. had already been put forward for consideration (although he later claimed he wasn't interested in the recognition). And Disney's 'For Your Consideration' list has now been updated as follows:

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr.
Chris Evans
Mark Ruffalo
Chris Hemsworth
Jeremy Renner
Josh Brolin
Paul Rudd
Don Cheadle

Best Supporting Actress

Scarlett Johansson
Gwyneth Paltrow
Zoe Saldana
Karen Gillan
Brie Larson

Avengers: Endgame is also being put forward in the following Oscar categories:

Picture
Director
Adapted Screenplay
Cinematography
Film Editing
Production Design
Costume Design
Makeup & Hairstyling
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Visual Effects
Original Score

There's been something of a sea-change in recent years in terms of how superhero movies are regarded by the Oscars.

Usually overlooked by Academy Awards voters, the superhero genre has enjoyed success in the Best Animated Film category (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), with the first-ever Best Picture nomination going to Marvel's very own Black Panther. (That film also made history by becoming the first comic book movie to win Best Original Score, for composer Ludwig Goransson.)

Whether Avengers: Endgame will succeed at the Oscars is anyone's guess. Given the sheer weight that lies behind his character, we might imagine that Downey Jr. is in with a shout – but can the movie land that elusive and coveted Best Picture nod?

Tweet us your thoughts on Avengers: Endgame's awards potential @Cineworld.