Ryan Coogler

Like its predecessor, “Wakanda Forever” centers around Black liberation and joy, creativity and community — while grief frames this sequel, it’s love that appears on-screen in full force.

If your film is a commercial film, it has to reinvent its genre of choice, be constantly talked about by the press and audiences and/or have a hefty studio campaign budget standing behind it to even stand a chance at getting nominated. And then you’ll still lose to stuff such as “The Shape of Water.”

As much as the Bay Area informs Coogler's works, his films are shaping up to leave an impact on the region — and even our generation, too.

In a widely-ranging discussion of sci-fi texts of the past and present, UC Berkeley lecturer Emily Carpenter and professor Namwali Serpell articulate representations of race and gender, discuss the ways that sci-fi reflects contemporary politics and offer interpretations of popular films.

There is no excuse for this continued resistance to diversity. Everyone should have heroes who look like them. Every kid deserves that.

The film is a testament to the capacity of gripping narratives and profoundly realized characters to elevate the superhero genre.