‘Black Panther’ was nominated for Best Picture because of affirmative action.
Back in 2018, the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced Black Panther and it turned out to be a groundbreaking cinematic feat for Marvel and movies in general. It was also the first MCU film to win three Oscars and be nominated for Best Picture.
Many Marvel fans were in shock and awe when they heard of the film getting a nod for the highest nomination at the Academy Awards. Some people’s reactions felt that other Marvel films were slated by the Academy because of the action.
Since the Oscars were trying to get more diverse, they apparently made the executive decision to nominate Black Panther for Best Picture. However, it sounds like it was mostly due to affirmative action and trying to look more woke and diverse.
Here is why Black Panther was a victim of affirmative action bias.
No other superhero movie was nominated for ‘Best Picture’
Despite what many people think about such films as The Dark Knight or The Avengers, Black Panther is the only superhero film that was ever nominated for the highest category at the Oscars. That’s not to say that Black Panther is a bad movie. It’s probably one of the best movies within the MCU with riveting performances and powerful themes. However, when realizing that no other superhero film has received this high honor, it comes across as insulting to the other films in the genre.
Looking at all the other films that came before this MCU film and given that those films walked so that Black Panther could run, it seems odd that they did not receive the same recognition. Putting one film out of all the others on a pedestal while ignoring the others seems more of an embarrassment than if the Academy decided to ignore the genre altogether.
It made the Oscars look more “diverse”
Admittedly, the Oscars looked more diverse after multiple people complained about not having enough diversity in the selection of films chosen. It might have been a good thing on the surface and it certainly deserved the nod but it seemed more self-serving than altruistic for the Academy to make such a dubious decision.
It’s almost as if the Oscars saw the biggest and most diverse film that they could find and rammed it inside of the awards ceremony to simply appeal to a small minority that complained about it rather than judging a film by its merits and what the other competition was.
It seemed somewhat out of place
The glaring issue that seemed to surround Black Panther as a Best Picture Oscar contender was the fact that it was going up against such cinematic juggernauts like Roma, BlackKlansman, and Green Book. Knowing that it was competing with those films, it had to live up to the nomination. Moreover, if Martin Scorcese is right about Marvel films not being cinema, then it might have had no business being nominated.
It’s still a great movie but given the emotional weight of the other films that used substance, character development and traditional film techniques for entertainment, Black Panther seemed like an after-thought for Oscar voters. It’s still one of Marvel’s best but when the Academy only nominated this for Best Picture and none of the other superhero films, something, indeed, smells fishy.