Kevin Smith goes on a rant after learning that Spider-Man: No Way Home wasn't nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The latest MCU blockbuster to hit theaters was also the third solo-project for Tom Holland's hero - though he didn't stay solo for long. No Way Home released exclusively in cinemas on December 17 to strong reviews and became a massive financial hit, overcoming the pandemic's effect on the industry to rank as the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time.

The viewer response to the latest Spider-Man, which uses the multiverse storytelling device to bring back characters from Sony's two previous franchises, has been overwhelmingly positive, leading many to wonder if this would translate to any awards-season success. Marvel Studios decided to make a push to get No Way Home nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, which ignited debate over whether the movie's popularity was enough to justify giving it one of ten possible spots. Ultimately, however, the MCU project was left off the list, to the dismay of many fans.

Related: Why No Way Home's Spider-Man Team-up Shouldn't Happen Again

Among the disgruntled is Smith, the filmmaker and noted comic-book aficionado, who slams the Oscars on his FatMan Beyond podcast (via ComicBook.com). After saying he hadn't checked the nominations and assumed No Way Home was among them, Smith goes into a colorful rant upon learning of the snub, stating it's no wonder viewership of the Academy Awards has fallen in recent years. Part way through, however, his live-feed cut out, which Smith jokingly claims is evidence of conspiracy upon his return. Check out his full quote here:

I would just like to congratulate the good folks who made Spider-Man: No Way Home for the very deserved Best Picture nomination that I'm sure it got, I didn't read the nods. Marc, tell me that I'm right. [...] What the f-ck? They got ten slots, they can't give one to the biggest f-cking movie of like the last three years? Man, and they're like 'Why won't anyone watch this show?' Like f-cking make a populist choice, f-ck, man. You got how many slots? Throw in Spider-Man for God's sakes. Let him swing in there. F-cking poor kid's always getting crapped on and sh-t, show Peter Parker some f-cking love. I'm not even being facetious, with as many movies as they have nominated for best picture... Kids, the conspiracy is real. I spoke about Spider-Man not being nominated by The Academy and we got tossed off of YouTube. Tie those two things together the truth lies somewhere out there.

Spidey in the Mirror Dimension in Spider-Man No Way Home

Smith is not the only public figure to express frustration at the Academy's choice to ignore No Way Home, with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel similarly laying into the Oscars for the omission. Of course, the question remains whether this should be considered a snub at all - the situation is reminiscent of the 2009 ceremony, when Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight being left off a list of five Best Picture contenders prompted similar uproar. Partially in response to this, the Academy went on to change their rules to the current up-to-ten-nominees format, which is supposed to allow room for less conventional movies with popular support to make the cut.

Of course, Marvel has seen this work in their favor before, as Black Panther earned a Best Picture nod before becoming the studio's only film to win in any category. Given that No Way Home is powered by a much heavier dose of fan-service than the Ryan Coogler film was, the comparison might help to illuminate why Oscar voters weren't as enamored with the Kevin Feige production this time around. Fans still have hope for a win for Spidey, as the movie is in competition for Best Visual Effects - a category that, perhaps surprisingly, the MCU has yet to win.

Next: Oscars 2022 Nominations: The Biggest Snubs & Surprises

Source: FatMan Beyond (via ComicBook.com)

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