Remember when Black Panther came out last February? Remember how it broke records left and right and became an instant cultural phenomenon? And remember when it, just a few weeks, was surprisingly nominated for Best Picture for the Golden Globes? Well, this Black Panther train ride hasn’t ended yet because it just got seven nominations, including the most prestigious nomination every filmmaker could ever dream of; a nomination for Best Picture.
I waited and waited, growing more and more surprised at all of the nominations the film was receiving, but when it was announced that Black Panther was indeed one of the eight films nominated for the grandest movie award in Hollywood I was downright thrilled.
Yes, there will be those that say Black Panther doesn’t deserve the nomination. And yeah, even I’m a bit surprised considering that clearly, my favorite superhero film is The Dark Knight which I think–even eight years after its release–is still better than Black Panther. But the reason why Black Panther was nominated was that it was something we’ve never seen before that impacted not just the inhabitants of the United States but the world.
We got to see black women portrayed as powerful, smart, independent, kind, and naturally beautiful which is something that has never really been portrayed in cinema.
And we got to see black men with so many different facets. They were villainous and triumphant, benevolent and cruel, powerful and weak. These were fascinating characters with depth, something you don’t often see with characters of color.
Black Panther may not be your favorite superhero or mine but it is powerful and it’s that power that has allowed it to receive such praise and accolades in Hollywood.
Are you excited about this news? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a fantastic day.
Annlyel Online 
A part of me will always be bitter that The Dark Knight did not get nominated for Best Picture (and that Christopher Nolan did not get nominated for Best Director) but it’s unfair for me to take that out on all super hero movies that come after it. Black Panther was an excellent movie, not just an excellent super hero movie. As my brother jokingly said, “Who would have thought showing interesting characters facing actual dilemmas could be so compelling?” As opposed to “a bad guy wants to get a thing and blow up the world because… evil.”
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