Disney bosses backing Black Panther all the way to the Oscars

Disney and Marvel bosses have made a superhero move and entered Black Panther in every possible category at the Academy Awards - including Best Picture.

The record-breaking blockbuster is not the type of film that typically gets Oscar voters excited, but studio bosses are convinced it stands a chance of making a splash at the 2019 ceremony.

Disney publicists have made it clear their leaders are backing the film all the way to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, by announcing plans to put the movie, starring Chadwick Boseman as the fictional king of African nation Wakanda, forward as an Oscar contender on the company's official awards page.

They want Black Panther to be considered for a string of technical nominations and Best Picture, while they think Ryan Coogler should be considered for the Best Director award.

Nate Moore, Marvel Studios vice president of development and production, told Variety, "A lot of our films, I think very rightfully and hopefully successfully, just feel like pieces of pure escapism. This movie attempts to do more.

"It attempts to make people think about the world that's around them and celebrate, frankly, a continent, in Africa, that's often overlooked. I don't think that at any point in the process did we feel like this could be an awards movie. But we did feel like this could have depth in a way that our movies don't always do."

Black Panther was considered a prime contender for the Oscars' proposed Popular Film category, but that idea has been postponed after critics suggested it could rob a movie of a possible Best Picture nod. The Marvel film was used as an example by fans, who felt the blockbuster was worthy of a top traditional award nomination.