Oscars 2018: 10 Best Actor Candidates You Need To Know

Voters may reward Day-Lewis with a Best Actor nod in light of the London-based feature being his last film. However, accomplished screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson should frame the designer biopic and its retired star in an awards-worthy portrait.

The recent trailer for Phantom Thread provides the greatest argument for why Daniel Day-Lewis deserves the chance to hold his fourth Best Oscar statuette. With a single panicked eye or well-placed frown, Day-Lewis conveys the myriad of feelings Reynolds Woodcock endures during a painful love affair. The part isn't as flashy as the ones in There Will Be Blood or Lincoln but the masterful veteran does much in subtle ways to reveal the devastation of the real-life dressmaker.

Retiree Day-Lewis has fashioned a strong career over four decades and Phantom Thread should sew it up nicely. Paul Thomas Anderson carries a large number of nominations under his belt, including There Will Be Blood, which earned Day-Lewis his second Oscar. Should Phantom Thread result in the same pattern of success, Day-Lewis will possess another golden man on his shelf of accolades.

Despite his absence from the public eye since Lincoln, audiences await his career-capping performance. Lincoln was a world-renowned president but there's the possibility of creative freedom with Phantom Thread's protagonist. His role might be overshadowed by other actors' bolder interpretations but Day-Lewis will remain part of the fabric of Hollywood society for many years to come.

Day-Lewis' legacy should come to a close with the Academy's praise since he's always a notch above his contemporaries.