Internet screams “Jackie Chan” as Oscars adds Best Stunts category: “A lifetime achievement award would be perfect for him”

The Academy announced a new Oscars category, which aims to spotlight the vital role of stunts in cinematic storytelling. Titled the Achievement in Stunt Design, the award will make its debut at the 100th Oscars in 2028 to honor the movies released in 2027.

On April 11, the official X (formerly Twitter) of The Academy revealed the news, with CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang saying:

“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking. We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”

With the Best Stunts category on the horizon, social media buzzed with various reactions, but one recurring comment dominated on X.

Shortly after The Academy’s announcement, Jackie Chan’s name swiftly climbed to the top of the trends list, as countless internet users claimed that he deserved the award.

X account @travolax opined:

“Jackie Chan has done some amazing things in movies. A lifetime achievement award would be perfect for him.”

User @ReelAesthetica shared the same sentiment, sharing a 40-second excerpt of the martial arts legend performing a jaw-dropping stunt in one of his earlier films.

“Can we just give Jackie Chan a lifetime achievement Academy Award for Best Stunt Design?”

Others sniped at The Academy, such as @upblissed who wrote:

“doing this after Jackie Chan not in his prime no more is diabolical”

This was echoed by @zawirjasmin_, who said:

“Jackie Chan should get this award backdated throughout his film career. What an L to the Oscars”

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“Tom Cruise category”: Fans rally behind the actor for the Stunt crown

Apart from Jackie Chan, fans of Tom Cruise also believe he’s worthy of the recognition. Best known for Top Gun and the Mission Impossible series, the Hollywood icon’s supporters took to X to name him as one of the most deserving for the stunt honor.

“Might as well call it the Tom Cruise category,” user @heartsocold declared.

“The same way plenty of people get their EGOT directing a Tony Awards winning play, Tom Cruise is gonna finally get that Oscar from being top billing on the Stunt Design Team,watch…” @SceneByAshlix asserted.

When an online user asked who between Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise deserves the recognition better, @EliseStGeorge answered:

“Jackie Chan definitely....he used to do all types of s*** back in the day lol. One of the reasons he was one of the highest paid actors for a long time was because he could do his own stunts and they didn't need to hire a double.”

Nevertheless, many believe that the two actors are equally deserving of the stunt crown.

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Eligibility and voting rules for the Achievement in Stunt Design will be revealed in 2027, along with full guidelines for the 100th Academy Awards.

Currently, more than 100 stunt professionals belong to the Academy’s Production and Technology Branch.

Meanwhile, the last new category introduced was Achievement in Casting, established in 2024, scheduled to debut at the 98th Oscars honoring films from 2025.