With 2016 coming to an end this weekend, most of the major film and television critics in the country have released their top ten best lists of films and TV shows. While MCU properties tend to not get major nominations outside of the visual effects categories, some critics, particularly those more focused on genre films, do recognize Marvel’s excellence. Here’s a quick rundown of the MCU properties who have received recognition in the 2016 year end top ten lists.
Agent Carter
10th best show at Las Vegas Weekly
Captain America: Civil War
6th best film for Don Kaye at Den of Geek
4th best film at Empire
10th best film for the EW staff
5th best film at Total Film/GamesRadar+
8th best film at Popsugar
8th best film at Uproxx
Daredevil
4th best show at Hidden Remote
IGN Top Ten show
Doctor Strange
9th best film at Movie Nation
2nd best film at People
2nd best film at St. Louis Post-Dispatch
9th best film at Total Film/GamesRadar+
Luke Cage
7th best show at Hidden Remote
Huffington Post Top Ten show
6th best show at Maclean’s
6th best show at NPR
TheWrap Top Ten show
Yahoo Top Ten show
It is interesting to see where different films and shows got attention. Civil War did better than Doctor Strange with the blogs who pay closer attention to superhero movies, but the mystical adventure got high praise from some more mainstream publications. Luke Cage generally got more critical love than Daredevil. This makes sense as the former was a bit more focused on bigger social issues than the later, which was more of a traditional comic storyline.
Fans will still find the lack of critical and award recognition frustrating. In particular, the Netflix shows are tackling some major issues and providing opportunities for more diverse filmmakers. Those efforts seem to be under-recognized by the critical establishment. Some of the “it’s just a comic book show” stink seems to still linger in the air. That said, some of the recognition above at places like NPR and the Huffington Post and People suggests that Marvel is slowly moving into more mainstream sources.
The next big opportunity for awards recognition will be January 24th, when the Oscar nominations are revealed. Both Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange are hopeful to make the nomination cut for special effects. Nothing is guaranteed, but both are in contention to become the first MCU films to win an Academy Award.
