Can Angela Bassett win an Oscar for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ?

To answer that question as simply as possible: Yes. Because Angela Bassett can do anything in our eyes. But will the veteran's standout turn as Queen Ramonda — part regal reserve, part inflamed lioness in winter, all irresistible catnip — go all the way to the Oscars?

The MCU has never scored an acting nomination before, a stubborn fact worth bearing in mind. And while DC supervillains have already snuck off with a pair of Oscars, Heath Ledger for 2008's The Dark Knight and Joaquin Phoenix for 2019's Joker, those both may be attributable to the high-wire act of performing in that particularly attention-grabbing role.

Annette Brown/Marvel Studios Angela Bassett in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

Bassett herself is worthy and long overdue. Her sole Academy Award nomination came with 1993's What's Love Got to Do With It, in which she summoned an especially complex Tina Turner.

Regarding this year's race, two factors fall squarely in Bassett's favor. First, the films offering her the toughest competition, Sarah Polley's Women Talking and the Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once, both have at least two potential supporting-actress nominees: Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy in the former; Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu in the latter. While all four of these turns are stellar, a certain amount of vote-splitting seems inevitable.

Second, and more significantly, no other Oscar-bound movie this year (with the possible exception of Avatar: The Way of Water) will be seen by more voters. This isn't wishful thinking or quality-vouching, just pure numbers. Wakanda's sheer box-office might, coupled with Bassett's far-and-away strongest turn within it, could boost her in a singular, undeniable way.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now. Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 24, 2023.

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