Marvel Studios film “Black Panther,” the first superhero film to feature a predominantly black cast, made Oscars history on Tuesday morning, landing the first best picture nomination for a superhero movie.
The Academy unveiled its 2019 Oscar nominations early Tuesday morning, with “The Favourite” and “Roma” leading all films with 10 nominations apiece. Many film critics, industry members, and movie fans have deemed the nomination of “Black Panther” for best picture as a watershed moment.
“Black Panther” was 2018’s top-grossing movie in the United States and Canada, and second-highest worldwide, with $1.3 billion in ticket sales. The film’s U.K. debut was the highest-grossing single-day opener at the U.K. box office in 2018. The story of “Black Panther” follows T’Challa as he is sworn in as king of Wakanda, a cloaked, technologically advanced nation in Africa that’s home to the alien metal vibranium, which gives Black Panther his powers.
The 91st annual Academy Awards will once again take place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. The show will air live on Sunday, Feb. 24, on ABC.
