The new identity politics of Hollywood

In 2018, identity and inclusion came to the fore in TV and film

Scenes from 2018 movies.
(Image credit: Illustrated | David Lee / Focus Features, Screenshot/Marvel, Screenshot/Disney, Clay Enos, trekandshoot/iStock)

In 2018, filmmakers and TV writers had a lot on their minds. But one of the enduring preoccupations, for artists and audiences alike, was the need to discover and to cling to an identity.

Black Panther became the highest-grossing American film of 2018 because it's an unusually complex and stylish superhero picture, but also because it inverts the clichéd "cast of white heroes with one or two black supporting characters" paradigm. Black Panther quickly became more than just a movie to some fans. It was a long-overdue cultural happening. By the end of its opening weekend back in February, black athletes, actors, comedians, musicians, and fans were flashing "Wakanda Forever" signs, treating the film's success as their own triumph.

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Noel Murray

Noel Murray is a freelance writer, living in Arkansas with his wife and two kids. He was one of the co-founders of the late, lamented movie/culture website The Dissolve, and his articles about film, TV, music, and comics currently appear regularly in The A.V. Club, Rolling Stone, Vulture, The Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times.