The 2025 Oscars need a host. With the ceremony scheduled for March, time is ticking for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to find one.
The Academy may look toward two superheroes for help. Per Deadline, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are in the mix to host the 97th Academy Awards. Reynolds and Jackman are the stars of Deadpool & Wolverine, the second-biggest movie of the year behind Inside Out 2. Reynolds and Jackman are the type of A-list talent the Academy hopes will drive ratings.
The duo have incredible chemistry, which was on full display during their guest-hosting appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jackman also has experience with the Academy, having hosted the 2009 Oscars. If Reynolds and Jackman host, the plan would be to include them in a star ensemble of rotating hosts who present a portion of the show.
Deadline’s report also mentions that Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, and Dwayne Johnson have been approached to host.
In July, Jimmy Kimmel and John Mulaney passed on the opportunity to host the 2025 Oscars. Kimmel has hosted four Academy Awards, including last year, which saw Oppenheimer dominate the ceremony. Kimmel was a key member of the 2017 Oscars, where Moonlight famously defeated La La Land for Best Picture in one of the show’s biggest viral moments.
Mulaney was high on the Academy’s list. The stand-up comedian gave a hilarious monologue about Field of Dreams while presenting at the 2024 Oscars. Mulaney also impressed as the host of the 2024 Governors Awards. However, Mulaney’s schedule for 2025 is packed, especially with a new live variety talk show on Netflix.
Ever since Kevin Hart resigned in the lead-up to the 2019 Oscars, the Academy has struggled to secure a host. The ceremony did not have a host from 2019-2021. In 2022, the Academy hired a trio of comedians — Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes — to each host a portion of the ceremony.
The Oscars are scheduled for March 2, 2025.
