Progressive identity politics shaped film discourse and proved commercially viable.

Evidence

Identity politics also permeated the popular dialogue around film. In 2015, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite highlighted the lack of diversity in Hollywood awards. The right responded with vitriol, notably targeting the all-female cast of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, which flopped at the box office. Misogynist Star Wars fans launched a harassment campaign against Asian actor Kelly Marie Tran following her appearance in 2017’s The Last Jedi. Despite such backlash, Ryan Coogler’s 2018 film Black Panther demonstrated the commercial and critical potential of progressive filmmaking. With its all-Black cast and director, the Marvel film earned over $1 billion and was hailed as “the most political movie ever produced by Marvel Studios.” — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 465