‘Superman’ Makes Oscars Shortlist: Best VFX and Sound

The Academy Awards has revealed the films being considered for nominations, and James Gunn’s Superman is among those shortlisted.

James Gunn’s new DC film is being considered for two Academy Awards in technical categories: Sound and Visual Effects. This puts the movie closer to receiving a final Oscar nomination as voting nears completion.

Just to clarify, Superman hasn’t received an Oscar nomination yet. It’s currently on the shortlist, which means it’s still in the running, but hasn’t won anything yet.

Superman Shortlisted for Sound and Visual Effects

Superman appears alongside major studio releases in both categories.

The magazine Sound features articles about films like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and Wicked: For Good.

The movie Superman is still a strong contender in the Visual Effects category, alongside films that rely heavily on visual effects like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Jurassic World Rebirth, and Tron: Ares.

Making the shortlist means the film met the basic requirements and is now in the running for nominations.

What Happens Next in Oscar Voting

Voting for the Oscars will take place from January 12th to January 16th, 2026. The list of official nominees will be revealed on January 22, 2026.

The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and broadcast live on ABC.

It’s still uncertain if Superman will be a final Oscar nominee (it wasn’t nominated for a Golden Globe), but making the shortlist is a good first step for DC Studios in the awards season.

Checkout the full shortlist below.

98th Oscars Shortlists

Animated Short Film

Here’s a list of titles: Autokar, Butterfly, Cardboard, Éiru, Forevergreen, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, Hurikán, I Died in Irpin, The Night Boots, Playing God, The Quinta’s Ghost, Retirement Plan, The Shyness of Trees, Snow Bear, and The Three Sisters.

Casting

Here’s a list of book and play titles: Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle after Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Sirât, Weapons, and Wicked: For Good.

Cinematography

Here’s a list of titles: Ballad of a Small Player, Bugonia, Die My Love, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Nouvelle Vague, One Battle after Another, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Sirât, Song Sung Blue, Sound of Falling, Train Dreams, and Wicked: For Good.

Documentary Feature Film

Here’s a list of titles: The Alabama Solution, Apocalypse in the Tropics, Coexistence, My Ass!, Come See Me in the Good Light, Cover-Up, Cutting Through Rocks, Folktales, Holding Liat, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Mistress Dispeller, My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow, The Perfect Neighbor, Seeds, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, and Yanuni.

Documentary Short Film

Here’s a list of film or documentary titles: All the Empty Rooms, All the Walls Came Down, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, Bad Hostage, Cashing Out, Chasing Time, Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”, Classroom 4, The Devil Is Busy, Heartbeat, Last Days on Lake Trinity, On Healing Land, Birds Perch, Perfectly a Strangeness, Rovina’s Choice, and We Were the Scenery.

International Feature Film

Here’s a list of film titles representing different countries: Argentina – Belén, Brazil – The Secret Agent, France – It Was Just an Accident, Germany – Sound of Falling, India – Homebound, Iraq – The President’s Cake, Japan – Kokuho, Jordan – All That’s Left of You, Norway – Sentimental Value, Palestine – Palestine 36, South Korea – No Other Choice, Spain – Sirât, Switzerland – Late Shift, Taiwan – Left-Handed Girl, and Tunisia – The Voice of Hind Rajab.

Live Action Short Film

Here’s a list of titles: Ado, Amarela, Beyond Silence, The Boy with White Skin, Butcher’s Stain, Butterfly on a Wheel, Dad’s Not Home, Extremist, A Friend of Dorothy, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, Pantyhose, The Pearl Comb, Rock, Paper, Scissors, The Singers, and Two People Exchanging Saliva.

Makeup and Hairstyling

Here’s a list of titles: Alto Knights, Frankenstein, Kokuho, Marty Supreme, Nuremberg, One Battle after Another, Sinners, The Smashing Machine, The Ugly Stepsister, and Wicked: For Good.

Music (Original Score)

Here’s a list of titles: Avatar: Fire and Ash, Bugonia, Captain America: Brave New World, Diane Warren: Relentless, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Hedda, A House of Dynamite, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, Nuremberg, One Battle after Another, Sinners, Sirât, Train Dreams, Tron: Ares, Truth and Treason, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and Wicked: For Good.

Music (Original Song)

Here’s a list of song and album titles: “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” (from Tron: Ares), “Dear Me” (Diane Warren: Relentless), “Dream As One” (Avatar: Fire and Ash), “Drive” (F1), “Dying To Live” (Billy Idol Should Be Dead), “The Girl In The Bubble” (Wicked: For Good), “Golden” (KPop Demon Hunters), “Highest 2 Lowest” (Highest 2 Lowest), “I Lied To You” (Sinners), “Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” (Sinners), “No Place Like Home” (Wicked: For Good), “Our Love” (The Ballad of Wallis Island), “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” (Come See Me in the Good Light), “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” (Viva Verdi!), and “Train Dreams” (Train Dreams).

Sound

Okay, so I’ve been checking out the latest movie releases and upcoming titles, and here’s what’s on my radar: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ sounds epic, and I’m definitely intrigued by a new take on the ‘Frankenstein’ story. Of course, I’m hyped for the next ‘Mission: Impossible’ – ‘The Final Reckoning’! Beyond that, there’s ‘One Battle after Another’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Sirât’, a documentary about Bruce Springsteen called ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’, and a new ‘Superman’ film in the works. Oh, and I can’t forget ‘Wicked: For Good’ – I’m a huge fan of the musical, so I’m really excited about that one!

Visual Effects

Here’s a list of titles: Avatar: Fire and Ash, The Electric State, F1, Frankenstein, Jurassic World Rebirth, The Lost Bus, Sinners, Superman, Tron: Ares, and Wicked: For Good.

2025-12-16 23:33