Ryan Coogler

“Black Panther”

To date, no one has earned a best director Oscar for a comic book blockbuster, but Coogler stands the best chance of breaking that streak. Not only a box office juggernaut, “Black Panther” was a legitimate cultural phenomenon, with Coogler’s deft handling of colonialism and racism combining activist filmmaking with oldschool popcorn spectacle. The film was included on AFI’S year- end top 10 and nominated for the Golden Globe for best picture, with Coogler himself winning best director for a second time from the African-american Film Critics Assn.