17 Superhero Movies That Were Nominated For Oscars
2. Superman
Won: Special Achievement Award For Visual Effects
Nominated For: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman)
To try to understand what an achievement Richard Donner's movie is, bear in mind that in 1978 a "comic book movie" meant either Adam West in Batman (1966) or the ultra low budget made for TV Spider-Man (1977). Throwing millions of dollars at a movie about an unknown actor who can fly must've sounded like a disaster.
Fortunately, Donner didn't just "get it right", he established the blueprint for the superhero movie for generations to come. His movie is a near perfect combination of reverence, send up and fun that unlike many later incarnations of the character (nudge) manages to be dramatic without seeming po-faced and humorless.
Nobody could've predicted Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, but you can't have everything.