Marvel Studios’ Black Panther earned seven Oscar nominations from the 2019 Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture, a rebuke on the unspoken-but-established idea that the populist cinema didn’t have place among end-of-year prestige. A win in the top category didn’t happen (Best Picture went to the polarizing drama Green Book), but the billion-dollar blockbuster took three awards before the curtain closed on the telecast — a major achievement for a genre written off by many, and history for Marvel, which had never won an Oscar before. Throughout the speeches, recipients of Black Panther’s awards had one man to thank: Ryan Coogler, who despite not garnering a nomination for Best Director, earned as much love as someone in the audience could possibly receive. Announced by Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry, Black Panther picked up Marvel’s first Oscar ever for Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture. Designer Ruth Carter (Selma, Malcolm X, Love & Basketball) accepted the award, and the weight of the moment was felt — not just for the MCU, but Hollywood’s own history. Along with making Marvel history, Carter is the first black woman to ever win in the Costume Design category. “Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design we turned him into an African king,” Carter said in her speech. “It’s been my life’s honor to create costumes. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you for honoring African royalty and the empowered way women can look and lead on screen.” She added, “Adding vibrainaum to costumes is very expensive!” Black Panther also picked up the Oscar for Best Production Design in a Motion Picture. Production Designer Hannah Beachler (Creed, Beyoncé’s Lemonade) and Set Decorator Jay Hart (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, L.A. Confidential) accepted the award. Along with making history for Marvel, Beachler is the first black artist to ever win the Production Design award. (She is also the first black artist nominated in the category’s 90-year existence.) In a powerful speech, Beachler laid out the support she felt behind the scenes on the film: I stand here stronger than I was yesterday, I stand here with agency and self-worth because of Ryan Coogler. You’re not only made me a better designer, a different storyteller, a better person; I stand here because of this man who offered me a better perspective of life, who offered me a safe space, who is patient, and gave me air, humanity and brotherhood, thank you Ryan, I love you. I am stronger because of Marvel, who gave me the opportunity to do my best, who supported the vision of this film and lifted us up every day. Victoria Alonso, Kevin Feige, Louis Esposito and ... Nate Moore, thank you. I am stronger because of the art department crew, who lead with their hearts and brought their experiences, talent, courage, humility, and hard work to the table. Supervising art director Alan Hook and set decorator Jane Hard, thank you. I am stronger today because of this wonderful cast, who every day stepped into this world and breathed life into it. Because of Ruth Carter and Rachel Morrison and everything they did behind the camera with me. I am stronger because of a woman who supported me every day, when I wanted to give up, this is for you my friend Carol Travino, rest in power. I’m stronger because of my family who supported me through the rest of time. I give this strength to all those who come next to keep going to never give up and when you think it’s impossible just remember to say this piece of advice I got from a very wise woman, ‘I did my best and my best is good enough. Black Panther kept the highs going with a third win: Best Score in a Motion Picture. Composer Ludwig Goransson, who previously worked with Coogler on Fruitvale Station and Creed after producing records for acts like Childish Gambino, Haim, and Chance the Rapper, accepted the award. Though a success in the eyes of critics and supremely bankable by box office standards, Marvel’s 10-year run never snagged the approval of Academy Award voters until now. That’s not for a lack of attempts: All three entries in the Iron Man trilogy, both Guardians movies, as well as The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Doctor Strange all earned Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects, only to lose out in the end. In 2009, the original Iron Man snagged a Sound Editing nomination, ultimately losing out to The Dark Knight. For its array of space aliens, Guardians of the Galaxy also picked up a Makeup and Hairstyling nomination. (We should note: DC’s Super Squad WON that award two years later, much to the chagrin of hardcore Marvel fans.) Along with the Oscar gold, Black Panther stands out as one of the gems of the MCU, both in terms of pure entertainment and success. The movie earned $700 million in the United States, and over $1.3 billion worldwide, making the film the fourth biggest superhero movie of all time, just under the Avengers trilogy. Last October, word broke that Ryan Coogler would return to direct Black Panther 2 — can the franchise pull a Godfather: Part 2 and return to the Oscars? As fans, we can only hope. Could the movie pick up additional awards before the end of the night? The chances are there. Stay tuned for more updates on Black Panther’s Oscar run...<doc-sep>Even today, Coogler continues to live in the Bay Area near his parents. “I’m thankful to have a big family that’s still honest with me,” he said, noting that “Black Panther” pivots on the conflict between T’Challa and Jordan’s orphaned Killmonger, both of whom he can sympathize with. “The fundamental difference between those two characters,” Coogler said, “is that one grew up with a community that loved him and nurtured him, and the other had the opposite.” Having been so nurtured, perhaps it’s no surprise that Coogler wants to pay it forward. In 2007, Coogler, about to begin film school at the University of Southern California, told the East Bay Times about what he hoped to achieve in Hollywood. Instead of settling down in Los Angeles someday, his goal was to bring the film industry back to the impoverished parts of Richmond and Oakland, where he grew up. “It will be something the people can point to and kids can see it, saying, ‘I can do that,’” the young Coogler said then. As my coffee with Coogler concluded, I pulled the article up on my phone and noted that at the end of “Black Panther,” this is exactly what T’Challa does. After grappling with the Oakland-born Killmonger and coming to understand the crucible he was forged in, the young king flies to his defeated enemy’s home city, where he starts a high-tech outreach center that will inspire the community. By making “Black Panther,” then, Coogler has moved through T’Challa to realize a long-held goal. As I told him that, Coogler blinked. “That’s a lot,” he said, having never considered the connection. “That’s a lot.” And then he let out a laugh. It was a laugh I’d heard Coogler deploy every time he was paid a compliment, a laugh he uses when he doesn’t know how else to react. And then, after letting himself take in the idea for just a moment, Coogler moved on. “Hopefully, there’s more to do,” he said.<doc-sep>
Netflix makes history Though Netflix shows are regularly showered with Emmy nominations, best picture recognition at the Oscars has eluded the company until now. On Tuesday, “Roma” earned Netflix its first nomination for Oscar’s top prize, as well as a great many other nominations, including lead actress for Yalitza Aparicio and supporting actress for Marina de Tavira, both of whom had been snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild. One notable academy snub? Editing. Yes, Alfonso Cuarón’s film is mostly composed of languid long takes, but an editing nomination is often considered a key milestone on the way to a best picture win. Then again, “A Star Is Born” didn’t crack the category, either. A rough morning for Mister Rogers After a robust year for documentaries at the box office, many pundits assumed that “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” Morgan Neville’s documentary about the children’s show host Mister Rogers, would be the feel-good favorite. Well, don’t take your shoes off just yet: Neville’s film was one of this morning’s most shocking snubs. With “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” out, could the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “RBG” become the new front-runner? In addition to its best documentary nomination, it also picked up a nomination for best song. After a big win, ‘Green Book’ does … fine This race-relations dramedy pulled out an upset win at the Producers Guild of America last weekend, so I wondered if it might show up in some unexpected categories on Tuesday, signaling real Oscar strength. While “Green Book” did score nominations for best picture and best original screenplay, as well as for the actors Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, it didn’t crack the lineups for director or supporting actress. The Producers Guild honor usually foretells the winner of the best picture Oscar, but will that still hold true this year? In a month, we’ll find out.