Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has made it clear that if his film "Black Panther" wins the Oscar for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards, it will be director Ryan Coogler who will receive the trophy.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly's The Awardistpodcast, Feige, who is credited to be the man behind the studio's highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, said he would make Coogler deliver a speech should the film wins the top Oscar award.
"He will have no choice. Without question — because it is Ryan's film, and it is Ryan's achievement. It would be a must. I would ask him, very kindly, to be there," he said.
Directed by Coogler, "Black Panther" was the first Marvel film to be led by a person of colour - Chadwick Boseman - and featured a virtually all-black cast with Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Andy Serkis, among others.
At the 91st Academy Awards, the film is nominated for seven Oscar awards, including the best film and the best original song.
Coogler, however, snubbed by the Academy in the best director category, something, Feige believes, the filmmaker is not bothered about.
"Ryan is very pleased that the film (was honoured) and he would much rather, if you ask him, see that his crew members be recognized, which so many of them were," he added.
