'Black Panther' just took a big step toward a Best Picture Oscar nom

Black Panther had no trouble conquering critics, fans, and the global box office. But could it go on to awards glory?

The Marvel movie is one of 10 films up nominated for the Producers Guild of America's Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures — essentially the organization's equivalent of Best Picture.

Also in the running are BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Rich Asians, The Favourite, Green Book, A Quiet Place, Roma, A Star Is Born, and Vice.

The PGA Awards' animated movie category is looking even more superhero-friendly, with both Incredibles 2 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse up for prizes along with Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, Isle of Dogs, and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

While the PGA Awards aren't related to the Oscars per se, it's considered a key predictor, since the two awards have historically overlapped on a lot of their nominees. Black Panther winning the PGA's favor is a promising sign for its prospects in the rest of this year's awards races.

That said, superhero movies have tended to have better luck with the PGA than with the Academy. Last year, Wonder Woman snagged a PGA nom but was completely shut out of the Oscars; the same happened in 2017 to Deadpool. In 2009, the PGA-nominated The Dark Knight did make it to the Oscars, and even picked up a couple of statues — but couldn't break into the Best Picture race at all.