The 91st Academy Awards are a little over a month away, and the ceremony still doesn’t have a host. It’s becoming increasingly likely that they won’t find anyone in time, either, after Kevin Hart stepped down following backlash over his past homophobic tweets. (I’m sure Billy Crystal would sign up with only three-hours notice.) It appears the current plan is to assemble “a crop of A-listers to introduce various segments instead of relying on one marquee name,” according to Variety. Say, you know who’s really good at assembling?
The show’s producers are currently lining up appearances by as many big-name cast members from Marvel’s sprawling Avengers franchise as possible. An Avengers all-star Oscar reunion wouldn’t be unprecedented. Following the success of 2012’s Avengers, the 2013 telecast featured Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) together on stage. But since then the Avengers’ ranks, as well as those of its rivals and foes, have only grown, and the Academy is looking to pull together an even bigger assemblage.
It helps that the Oscars are on ABC this year, which, like Marvel Studios, is owned by Disney. A full-on Avengers reunion would help ratings, especially in a year where Black Panther is expected to get multiple nominations, and the nation’s morale. What America needs now, more than anything, is to see Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Mantis, and Drax kick the crap out of Star-Lord for what he did in Infinity War. Highest ratings ever!
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)