10 Oscars The Marvel Cinematic Universe Should Have Won In A Fair World

9. Best Supporting Actor - Mark Ruffalo, The Avengers

No offence to Marvel Studios, but their films aren't exactly regular showcases for acting prowess - they are, by design, focused more on spectacle and entertaining the audience. Which isn't to say there have been no standout performances in the MCU. Mark Ruffalo seemed like an odd choice to take over from Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/The Hulk for The Avengers - not because Ruffalo didn't have the edge or intelligence to play both Banner and his green counterpart, but because Ruffalo had kept his distance from these kinds of projects his entire career, instead sticking to indie fare and small-scale drama. Any fears were dispelled, though, as soon as fans saw Ruffalo in a role he could easily have bagged a Best Supporting Actor nom for, and which instantly led to calls for a standalone Hulk film. Ruffalo's quietly become one of modern American cinema's best actors anyway, but in The Avengers he potentially outdoes himself by donning the mo-cap suit and bravely taking on the dreaded double role. He gets both parts spot-on, exuding compassion as Banner, and the requisite uncontrollable rage as The Hulk. What could've been the most ridiculous character on show became some Greek myth-like tortured hero in Ruffalo's hands.