Strong disagreement.
Firstly, superhero films generally do not expand the genre in a real meaningful way. They play it safe to appease its target demographics, and while they’re usually pretty fun, they’re largely disposable and frivolous. The lack of ambition should preclude them from awards consideration. The only superhero film that truly deserved Oscar glory was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and that was one of the most infamous Oscar flubs in recent history.
Art house pictures have a luxury that Disney and superhero films simply don’t allow for: they are usually only beholden to the creative force behind the camera, whether it be the director or screenwriter (if they’re not the same person). No matter what kind of film we end of getting, it’s uniquely the filmmakers vision, for better or worse. The story can go to darker places and challenge audiences in ways that Disney will never be able to, and when something so profoundly unique comes across the audience‘s path, it’s worth respecting and propping up.
Few exemptions aside, superhero films are largely made by committee, and are largely the products of a grand story path, and no necessarily a great writer or visionary (Nolan, Gunn being two of the biggest outliers to this rule). I don’t believe that deserves the glory over something created that is much more personal and unique to that particular filmmaker.
