Despite what people are led to believe by its marketing, Black Panther was not the first black superhero to feature as the protagonist in his own film and was not the first black Marvel superhero either, rather the first black superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Released in 1998, the film Blade stared Wesley Snipes as the highly skilled vampire hunter based of the same comic book character introduced in 1973. Blade is very interesting as it covers the history of black cinema while also covering the history of marvel, the creator of both films. Race had a large factor in the production of the film and the studio even asked if the character should be white unlike his comic book adaptation. However, after failing to produce a Black Panther film, Wesley Snipes was cast as Blade in 1996. Blade was Marvel's first box office success and set the stage for further comic film adaptations.
Another film that is very important to consider is Gone with the Wind. The film was a huge success and became the highest earning film at the time of its release. It is also credited for triggering changes in the way African Americans were depicted with cinema. The film is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, and in 1989 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Despite the good it does, the film has been criticized as historical negationism, glorifying slavery and the Lost Cause of the Confederacy myth. The film takes place during the time of the civil war, a huge time in history for Black people and has a large impact on the plot of the film. It also takes place at a cotton plantation in the South of America that was largely against Black freedom at the time. While the main cast are predominantly white, it is the character “Mammy” played by Hattie McDaniel that helps portray black characters in a less stereotypical way. Her Performance in the film also lead to her being the first African American actress to win an Oscar at the Academy awards. Carlton Moss, a black dramatist, characterized it as a "nostalgic plea for sympathy for a still-living cause of Southern reaction". Moss further called out the stereotypical black characterizations, such as the "shiftless and dull-witted Pork", the "indolent and thoroughly irresponsible Prissy", Big Sam's "radiant acceptance of slavery", and Mammy with her "constant haranguing and doting on every wish of Scarlett". However, these criticisms were not present in the white newspapers that reviewed the film following its release. Opinion in the black community was generally divided upon release, with the film being called by some a "weapon of terror against black America" and an insult to black audiences, and demonstrations were held in various cities. Even so, some sections of the black community recognized McDaniel's achievements to be representative of progression and hoped that the industry's recognition of her work would lead to increased visibility on screen for other black actors. Which ever way you see it you can’t argue that the film isn’t a big part of black cinema for better or worse.
Another film, more recent that the last, is coach carter. The film follows a predominantly black cast of young basket balls players in America as they strive for success and deal with the struggles that come with getting there. It shows a small piece of their lives and there determination and courage despite the world around them. The film challenges a lot of the stereotypes of young Black teens in America at the time. The film deals with different issues to something like Gone with the wind and is more relevant to black life today so can be seen as a big part of black cinema history. the film was a massive success financially, more than doubling its 30 million budget at the box office. It also went on to receive a black movie award as well as a black reel award and received many other nominations.
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