Filmmaker Ryan Coogler not only delivered Marvel’s first black superhero standalone film to critical praise and stellar box office success, but demonstrated how to ground a fantastical world with timely social messages. Amid the lavish world of Wakanda and a spotlight on black excellence, Ryan Coogler explores what it means to be black today through Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa and Michael B. Jordan’s powerful performance as empathetic villain Erik Killmonger. Given Black Panther‘s groundbreaking role in cinematic history, it’s likely to earn a place in the best picture race.