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Disney is pushing Robert Downey Jr., other Avengers for acting Oscars

The studio wants 13 Endgame actors to be considered for Academy Awards.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
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An Oscar for Iron Man?

Marvel Studios

Avengers: Endgame already won big at the box office, but could the Marvel blockbuster also score at the Academy Awards? Despite Robert Downey Jr. saying earlier that he didn't want Disney to put forth his name for an acting Oscar, he's on that list, along with 12 other actors.

Disney's award campaign website now lists Downey, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan and Brie Larson as names the studio wishes to be considered for the best supporting actor and best supporting actress Oscars.

The acting names aren't alone. Disney is also suggesting directors Joe and Anthony Russo, screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and numerous other crew members be considered for awards.

On an earlier version of the page, Downey wasn't listed, and some fans saw that as a snub. But when asked about it by talk show host Howard Stern, Downey said, "I'm so glad you brought this up because there was some talk about (putting my name forth for an acting Oscar), and I said 'let's not.'"

The studio may be putting forth plenty of actors' names, but that doesn't mean any of those actors will be nominated. As CNET sister site ComicBook.com points out, Avengers: Endgame is more likely to be nominated for technical awards, such as visual effects.

The Academy Awards will be presented on Feb. 9. Nominees will be announced on Jan. 13.

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