‘Avengers: Doomsday’ & ‘Michael’ Shock Oscars — Suddenly Out of the Race, Here’s Why

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has introduced a major overhaul of its Oscar rules for the upcoming awards cycle, and the changes have a direct impact on eligibility in multiple categories.

According to reporting by Deadline’s Pete Hammond, the new guidelines are part of a broader effort to update how films are evaluated, especially in response to new technologies and evolving release strategies.

One of the most significant updates is in the International Feature Film category. Films can now qualify in two ways: either through official selection by their country or by winning certain awards at major international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, and Busan. However, this shift also tightens how eligibility is determined, and it has led to confusion around certain big studio releases.

Under the updated framework, large-scale studio films like Avengers: Doomsday and Michael are no longer considered eligible for International Feature consideration because they do not meet the required submission structure tied to national selection committees or qualifying festival pathways. The rule change effectively removes films that do not go through those specific entry routes, even if they are high-profile global releases.

The Academy also clarified that awards in this category will now go to the film itself rather than the country submitting it, but that change does not affect eligibility requirements. Instead, it reinforces that only properly submitted films can compete in the first place.

Alongside the international category shift, the Academy also reaffirmed stricter rules around authorship and performance, including new language around human-created work and updated voting structures across other branches.

While the changes are wide-ranging, the impact on eligibility has already been felt. Big studio titles that might have been expected to compete in multiple categories are now being excluded based on the revised submission rules, reshaping the early awards conversation for the season.

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