First of its Kind: Black Panther’s Impact on the Oscars

Image+from+flickr+user%2C+Junaidro

Image from flickr user, Junaidro

Zach Boyd, Staff Writer

Recently, ABC announced the Academy Award nominations for 2019. Among the usual dramas and period pieces nominated for Best Picture is Black Panther, a trailblazing choice that has sparked controversy and speculation.

In terms of genre, reception, and box office success, Black Panther truly stands out from its competitors. It is the first superhero movie ever to receive the nomination and is the only 2019 contender to not be some sort of drama. Out of all Best Picture nominees, it holds the highest Rotten Tomatoes percentage with a score of 97%, although its average rating is only 8.1/10, outclassed by the nominees Roma, The Favourite, and BlacKkKlansman. Black Panther also made $1.3 billion at the box office, when all but one of the nominees did not even break $100 million.

Black Panther has had an odd and controversial history in terms of Academy Award nominations. In August of last year, the new category of “Best Popular Film” was announced, and Black Panther was speculated to be nominated for it. This choice drew criticism; fans of the film thought this category was an excuse to not nominate the movie for Best Picture, while others believed that Ryan Coogler’s superhero flick was not deserving of Best Picture and the creation of the category was an excuse to just give it some kind of accolade. While the idea of this new category was shelved, the debate over Black Panther’s worthiness for Best Picture has not gone away.

Max Wilson, a Cresskill senior and Marvel fanatic, believes that, while the film has “great cinematography, a good villain, and a solid plot” he does not “think that it deserved the Best Picture nomination.”

Only time will tell whether Black Panther wins the coveted prize or become a footnote in Oscar history.