Denzel Washington and Will Smith are two prominent actors that have long been celebrated in the film industry.

So much so that the acknowledgment of their talents has crossed paths before at the 2002 Oscars when both were nominated for Best Actor Role. At that time, Washington’s role in “Training Day” and Smith’s “Ali” is what earned them their respective nominations. Ultimately, Washington beat out Smith and took home his second Oscar win that night.

(L) Denzel Washington and (R) Will Smith are reportedly going to face off in the Academy’s Best Actor category again. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for WarnerMedia, Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Now, almost 20 years later, Smith and Washington are predicted to have roles in the running during the next Oscar Awards ceremony, slated for March 27, 2022.

For the 2022 ceremony, Washington’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is going up against Smith’s “King Richard.” In “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Washington plays Macbeth who is seeking the Scottish throne after three witches told him a prophecy. As for Smith, he plays the father of legendary tennis players and sisters Venus and Serena Williams. The film will detail Richard Williams’ role in his daughters’ successful careers.

Neither film has been released yet, but based on the predictions of movie critics, Smith is the front-runner to take home the win for Best Actor. Of course, there are other actors that are in the running for the title next year. Adam Driver is on the list for “House of Gucci,” Peter Dinklage for “Cyrano,” Joaquin Phoenix in “C’mon C’mon” and Bradley Cooper in “Nightmare Alley” plus others.

Voting for the Oscar nominations will occur at the top of the new year, January, 27, 2022, and will continue for five days. The nominations will be announced a week later, on Tuesday, Feb. 8. If the predictions are correct and Smith wins the category, this will be his first Oscar Award. However, if Washington wins, it will still be historic because it will be the first time a Black actor has won three Oscar Awards.

Who do you think will take home the win?

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