The Oscar Narrative: First 2020 Nomination Predictions - Best Actor

First 2020 Predictions
Christian Bale "Ford v. Ferrari"
Robert DeNiro "The Irishman"
Leonardo DiCaprio "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
Taron Egerton "Rocketman"
Mark Ruffalo "Untitled Todd Haynes Project"

Other Contenders -  Hugh Bonneville "Downton Abbey", Tom Hanks "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", Eddie Murphy "Dolemite is My Name", Daniel Kaluuya "Queen and Slim", Robert Downey Jr. "Avengers: Endgame", Gary Oldman "The Laundromat", Ian McKellen "The Good Liar", Timothee Chalamet "The King", Anthony Hopkins "The Pope", Adam Driver "The Report", Adam Driver "Untitled Noah Baumbach Project", Ansel Elgort "The Goldfinch", Daniel Craig "Knives Out", John Lithgow "Untitled Roger Ailes Project", Will Smith "Gemini Man", Matt Damon "Ford v. Ferrari", Lucas Hedges "Waves", Brad Pitt "Ad Astra", Willem Dafoe "The Lighthouse", Benedict Cumberbatch "1917", Joaquin Phoenix "Joker", Edward Norton "Motherless Brooklyn", Winston Duke "Us", Zachary Levi "Shazam!", Robert Pattinson "High Life", Seth Rogen "Long Shot", Jimmie Fails "The Last Black Man in San Francisco", Tom Holland "Spider-Man: Far From Home", Milo Ventimiglia "The Art of Racing in the Rain"

Commentary - A tough race this year that is shaping up to have a lot of big names in the running. For the top five, I have Robert Deniro returning to the race for Scorsese's The Irishman. He is playing a character right up his alley, and this is set to be an epic. A lot is still unknown about Quentin Tarantino's latest, and will be revealed soon at Cannes, but Leonardo Dicaprio has become a reliable Oscar contender, and he always gives a worthy performance. Mark Ruffalo has alway been churning out great, Oscar-nominated work in recent years. He and Todd Haynes together seems like a perfect match. After Rami Malek's victory lap, I am starting out putting Taron Egerton in the top five. He actually sings in his, and will get to be Elton John without all of the straight-washing. Could be a winner. Christian Bale in a biopic got him close to an Oscar this year, and he is a favorite among voters. I think his role in Ford v. Ferrari could land him in the top five once again. That leaves out Hugh Bonneville. He is the one that I'm not sure can cross to the Oscars from the Emmys. It also leaves out Tom Hanks. The man has played Sully and Walt Disney, to rave reviews, and still gets passed over. I'd like to think his role as Mr. Rogers would inspire voters, but I'm starting to think they just take him for granted. Previous nominees and winners Gary Oldman, Eddie Murphy, Ian McKellen, Daniel Kaluuya, Adam Driver, Anthony Hopkins, John Lithgow Timothee Chalamet, Will Smith, Lucas Hedges, Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Edward Norton, and Willem Dafoe are back in the mix. There are also some folks hoping to finally secure a nod including Ansel Elgort, Winston Duke, Zachary Levi, Robert Pattinson, Milo Ventimiglia, Daniel Craig, along with newcomer Jimmie Fails who was a Sundance sensation.