Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige says it would be “wonderful” to see Black Panther recognized at the 2019 Academy Awards.
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“I think there are a lot of amazing artists that helped to make that movie, and it would be wonderful if they could be recognized,” Feige told Vox when asked if Marvel will pursue an Oscar campaign on behalf of the groundbreaking blockbuster.
“Almost everyone involved in that movie, bringing that movie together, is great, and it would be wonderful to see if they’re recognized. We’ll see. This genre, typically not.”
He added: “And I think it would be a wonderful thing for Panther and for our production designer Hannah [Beachler], and our costume designer Ruth [Carter], and for Ryan [Coogler] who co-wrote the script with Joe Robert Cole, and of course directed the movie. And Michael B. Jordan, and Chadwick [Boseman] and Lupita [Nyong’o] and Letitia [Wright].”
Because of the hard work that went into crafting Black Panther — from the more than 700 costumes that fused futurism and indigenous dress to the Saturn Award-winning production design — Feige feels the Marvel Studios blockbuster is worthy of major award recognition.
“There’s amazing performances, amazing artistry in that. I’d love to see them recognized, and I’d love to see this genre recognized,” Feige said.
“Yes, there are visual effects, yes, there are fun explosions, yes, there are spaceships. But these are all hand-crafted. Maybe it’s in front of a computer; it’s often actual sets, actual hand-built costumes. As much passion and artistry and talent goes into every single one we do; it’d be amazing for them to be recognized.”
Feige addressed Marvel’s lack of awards success at the Produced By conference in June, saying Marvel taking home gold would be nice — but he’s more concerned with fan response than awards recognition.
“Maybe it’s easy to dismiss VFX or flying people or spaceships or billion dollar grosses. I think it is easy to say that you have already been awarded in a certain way,” Feige said. “[Alfred] Hitchcock never won best director, so it’s very nice, but it doesn’t mean everything. I would much rather be in a room full of engaged fans.”
Superhero representation at the Oscars in above-the-line categories is rare: Logan was nominated earlier this year for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Marvel’s own Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was the sole superhero movie nominated in the Best Visual Effects category.
The Disney-owned studio has earned multiple nominations for Best Visual Effects in their ten-year history, and all but two of their nominations have come in this category: Iron Man earned both a Best Achievement in Visual Effects nomination as well as a Best Achievement in Sound Editing nomination in 2009, while Guardians of the Galaxy earned nominations for both Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup & Hairstyling in 2015.
Commentators have opined over the possibility of Black Panther being eyed for Academy Awards, among them The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan — who believes the film could receive a nod for Best Picture.
