Christopher Nolan Thinks 'Black Panther' Will Get a Best Picture Oscar Nomination

Disney has huge plans to follow up the success of Black Panther by campaigning the film for next year's Academy Awards, and one prominent director thinks the movie has a chance at breaking the glass ceiling.

While speaking with Deadline at the Governors Ball after-party, Dunkirk director Christopher Nolan predicted that Black Panther would be nominated for Best Picture at 2019's ceremonies.

Nolan put modern superhero films on the map with his trilogy of Batman films, specifically The Dark Knight which was famously snubbed for the top nomination at the 2009 Academy Awards. The following year, the Academy put 10 films forward for the nomination of Best Picture, compared to five film pool that was the previous standard.

If Black Panther has any chance to be nominated, it's likely due to Nolan's seminal film that earned Heath Ledger a post-humous award for Best Supporting Actor as the Joker.

The report goes on to mention that a Disney executive confirmed plans to campaign for Black Panther come award season, as well as another upcoming film that fans just got their first look at on the night of the ceremony.

Mary Poppins Returns will also be up for award voters' consideration, as Disney seems to be very pleased with director Rob Marshall's film. Executives are reportedly thrilled with Emily Blunt's role as the title character, the performance of Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the new songs in the film.

It seems like Disney will have double the chances for their Oscar intentions, though it remains to be seen how Academy voters will receive those films. There were some rumblings about Get Out not being perceived as deserving of the accolades by older voters, though the film went on to get writer and director Jordan Peele his first Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Superhero moves tend to fly under the radar at the Oscars. Though they're nominated in categories such as Visual Effects or Sound Editing, they are rarely considered for the "prestigious" awards, with the rare exception being Ledger's win.

The last superhero movie to win an Academy Award happened last year, when Suicide Squad won for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, given to Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini, and Christopher Nelson.

Do you agree with Christopher Nolan, readers? Does Black Panther have a shot at next year's Academy Awards? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Black Panther is now playing in theaters.