In Marvel Studios’ decade-long run, 17 successful blockbusters have featured a white character as the lead. However, Captain America: Civil War was the first small baby step in the right direction when it introduced Black Panther into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The events of that film would lead up to the Wakandian king’s standalone film, Black Panther.

But Black Panther is so much more than the title character’s first standalone film. It represents what a superhero means to a person of color. Representation matters, and as we move towards a brighter future, Marvel Studios will have more and more films that are a reflection of today’s society. That’s why Black Panther is such an important film.

We had the chance to sit down with the cast and creators Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Michael B. Jordan (“Erik Killmonger), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Angela Bassett (Ramonda), Forest Whitaker (Zuri), Andy Serkis (Ulysses Klaue), Martin Freeman (Everett K Ross), Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Letitia Wright (Shuri), director Ryan Coogler and producer Kevin Feige to talk about the importance of Black Panther, what making this MCU installment meant to them, and what they hope the film accomplishes. Check out what they had to say here below.

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther is a revolutionary installment the MCU, their long-running superhero franchise. The title character, who symbolized the real-life Black Panther movement in America during the 1960s, has become an iconic figure in the African-American community. And after 50-plus years of spending time building its fanbase in comic books, T’Challa returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his very own film. But the titular film isn’t your traditional superhero offering. It forgoes all those generic tropes of saving the world and focuses on real-world themes like culture, politics, identity, and representation.

Geeks Of Doom had a chance to sit down with their fellow journalists to talk to the cast, Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Angela Bassett (Ramonda), Forest Whitaker (Zuri), Andy Serkis (Ulysses Klaue), Martin Freeman (Everett K Ross), Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi), Winston Duke (M’Baku), and Letitia Wright (Shuri). Director Ryan Coogler and producer Kevin Feige were also present to talk about the upcoming film, how its important to have a character like Black Panther, the timeliness and relevancy, and more. Check out what they had to say here below.

Now that the Academy Award nominations have been announced, it’s time to take a look at some of the biggest surprises and of course the biggest snubs for this year’s Oscars. The Shape Of Water led the pack with 13 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Dunkirk got eight, and while a lot of it was on the technical aspects of the film, it did help Christopher Nolan score his first nomination for Best Director. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri came behind with 7, including Best Actress and two for Best Supporting Actor. So you get the gist.

But there were some things that just got flat-out snubbed, along with a few surprises as well. Check out some of these here below…

It’s widely known that the Marvel Studios’ franchises aren’t just tied to one particular genre. Each franchise has a sub-genre that allows it to stand out from other superhero films. For instance, Captain America started out as a wartime period piece and then evolved into a political thriller. Guardians of the Galaxy is a space opera. Iron Man has that buddy cop feel to it. Ant-Man began has a heist film but will become something else in the sequel. And Spider-Man is a coming of age film that sees its titular character go through high school angst.

With Black Panther just a few weeks away from release, we are now beginning to see how director Ryan Coogler‘s film fits into the MCU and how it will distinguish itself from the other MCU films. In a newly released interview, Coogler says he was inspired by films like A Prophet and the James Bond series. Check out the quotes below.

As promised, Marvel Studios dropped a brand new sneak peek of Black Panther during the College Football Playoff National Championship game last night. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film sees the return of Chadwick Boseman, who reprises the role he first played in Captain America: Civil War.

It will be our first look at Wakanda, a once peaceful secret nation going through political strife now that their king has been killed. So it is up to the once young T’Challa (Boseman) to rise up and become king and keep the throne before it can be taken by the dangerous Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). Check out the latest spot below.