5 movies in 2018 that could be nominated for the new, controversial 'popular film' award at the Oscars

No other film so far this year embodies the notion of a "popular movie" than "Avengers: Infinity War." It broke the record for biggest opening-weekend box office in the US with $258 million, and has since grossed over $2 billion worldwide. It is one of the biggest, most popular movies ever made, and not only did fans love it, but critics did, as well. "Infinity War" would never be recognized as a best-picture contender, but it's the best representation of the new Hollywood: franchises reign supreme, but they can still deliver great movies.

Before "Infinity War," "Black Panther" proved Marvel's dominance in the franchise wars, and is a cultural sensation on its own terms. The movie is the first superhero movie with a predominantly black cast, set in Africa. It broke box-office records, and has grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It was also a favorite among many critics in the best-picture race, which would make it the first superhero movie to be nominated for the award. And now that we know that it can compete in both the best picture and best popular film categories, there's still hope.

"Incredibles 2" recently passed $1 billion worldwide, and is the highest grossing animated movie in the US of all time. The long-awaited Pixar sequel is the definition of a hit, with both audiences and critics, with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes critic score. It's sure to be nominated for best animated feature, but it would be a shock to not see it in this category, as well.

"Mission: Impossible — Fallout" is the best reviewed "Mission" movie yet, and the best reviewed Tom Cruise movie ever with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. It's not as huge of a box-office sensation as the other movies on this list, but it had the best opening weekend of any movie in the franchise, and won the box office in its second weekend. It proves that, sometimes, a star can still drive audiences to the theater today — if they're willing to put their life on the line for crazy, amazing stunts. A "Mission: Impossible" movie has never been nominated for a single Oscar. "Fallout" deserves recognition.