The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has taken measures in recent years to right a number of various wrongs. After years of fan and industry lobbying, the Oscars will finally debut a brand new Stunt Design category for the 2027 telecast. They also took many steps to improve the body’s diversity after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

There are areas of the film realm that many have felt underrepresented or just plain slighted entirely, the biggest area being comedy. Actress and comedy legend Amy Poehler welcomed Oscar winner Olivia Colman on her Good Hang podcast, saying it was, “some H๏τ bulls–t” that comedy performances were snubbed.

While it seems unlikely that the esteemed Academy will reverse their current course on comedy (or horror, for that matter), it’s worth exploring some performances that may have been recognized in a different, comedy-friendly era.

Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future

The prevalent Oscar logic back in 1985 was that films which dominated at the box office were automatically exempt from awards season, the logic being that the dollars were their rewards. That all changed in 1998, when тιтanic not only became the highest-grossing film of all-time, but it also tied Ben-Hur‘s record by winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.

Had the Academy been more open-minded about comedy/blockbuster fare in 1985, perhaps Michael J. Fox would have earned his only Oscar nomination for Back to the Future. Not only is Marty McFly a hilarious and heartfelt character, but he should have gotten a nod solely for Fox’s grueling schedule.

He was so pᴀssionate about the film, he sH๏τ it concurrently with his hit TV sitcom Family Ties, heading to the Back to the Future set immediately after a full day on Family Ties.

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Would Gene Wilder have taken down Gene Hackman for his iconic performance in The French Connection had he been nominated for Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory? That would be highly unlikely, but it’s such a layered and fascinating performance that it deserved recognition from the Academy.

Wilder’s range is on full display in this 1971 classic, veering seamlessly from an eccentric and misunderstood weirdo to rage-fueled maniac to a tender father figure all in one film with a truly unforgettable performance. Besides, how amazing would it have been to see Gene Hackman sitting next to Gene Wilder all night.

Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick in Election

The script for this pitch-black comedy by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (from Tom Perrotta’s novel), but sadly Reese Witherspoon’s breakout role was not recognized. Her turn as the ridiculously ambitious Tracy Flick was just as hilarious as it was dark, showcasing the range she would display throughout her career.

Just six years later, she would earn her first Oscar nomination and win for portraying June Carter Cash in James Mangold’s beloved biopic Walk the Line, plus another nomination for Wild as well. It didn’t take long for the Academy to recognize her talent, but they should have done so a few years earlier.