In 2013, the 85th Academy Awards were held as scheduled.
Many outstanding films received nominations and awards that year, such as Ang Lee's Life of Pi.
Daniel Day-Lewis became the first actor to win three Academy Awards for Best Actor.
There were also several changes to the ceremony. That year marked the introduction of an electronic voting system. The Best Makeup award was renamed Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Additionally, the preliminary selection list for Best Visual Effects expanded from seven films to ten, allowing more films to catch the judges' attention.
However, the biggest talking point of this year's Oscars wasn't any of these changes—it was the winners' list after the awards were announced.
Although a few Black actors had received nominations, the final winners were exclusively white.
This sparked discontent among many Black celebrities, especially Will Smith, who had long been dissatisfied with the Academy.
Despite his stellar performances in films like Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, he had only ever received nominations. Had he been a white actor, he would have won long ago.
So, when the winners' list was revealed, he subtly expressed his displeasure during a press interview.
At the same time, more Black celebrities voiced their dissatisfaction. A Black television host even joked, "Everyone knows why I didn't attend the Oscars this year—because I'm Black."
Several stand-up comedians also took shots at the Oscars in their shows, using sharp humor to convey their frustration.
But in the media landscape, many white people dismissed these concerns.
One person mockingly responded to a Black celebrity's call for fairness: "Wow, the number of nominees is higher than in '96. That's progress, bro."
This was a direct jab at the 1996 Oscars, which had only nominated one Black actor.
Another comment read, "If Asians and Latinos hear this, they'll cry. Haha." Some people used the struggles of other minority groups to ridicule Black actors' grievances.
In reality, Black actors weren't even the most disadvantaged group at the Oscars.
A study analyzing Oscar winners between 1980 and 2015 showed that 84% of Best Actor winners were white, while only 10% were Black. Latino and Asian actors each accounted for a mere 3%.
For Best Actress, white women won 89% of the time, while Black women won 9%, and Latina women took 3%.
The racial distribution of Oscar winners did not reflect America's demographics at all. In fact, Latino actors were statistically worse off than Black actors. Despite making up 16% of the U.S. population, only 3% of Oscar winners were Latino.
But the most troubling issue wasn't just the numbers—it was the stereotypical roles that led to wins for Black and other minority actors.
There was an unwritten rule: If a Black actor didn't portray a character that aligned with white Hollywood's perception of Black people, they had no chance of winning.
A scholar named Carter published a paper on this phenomenon, using Hattie McDaniel's Oscar-winning role as a "mammy" as an example. The paper stated, "Respected Black women in films must serve white families, rarely have a personal backstory, and are typically portrayed as asexual, unattractive, and overweight."
Other stereotypical roles included the "Magical Negro" who helps a white protagonist overcome obstacles, the seductive "Jezebel" who leads people astray, the dangerous and evil "Black villain," the loud and exaggerated "Sassy Black Woman," the fiery "Latin Lover," the white protagonist's "sidekick," or the "Noble Savage."
These stereotypes accounted for 55% of winning roles. Only a quarter of Oscar-winning minority roles broke away from these clichés.
This issue extended beyond Black actors to other minorities as well. The most typical example was Asian actors—who were either cast as villains or as geeky side characters, perfectly fitting Western stereotypes of Asians.
Despite the backlash from Black actors, the Academy showed no intention of changing.
In the end, this controversy didn't create much of a stir. It left behind only traces of discontent in public discourse.
However, shortly after, Norton's Eye made a sudden announcement.
Will Smith had been cast as the lead in the superhero blockbuster Split: Black Shadow.
The news immediately attracted widespread attention. While Black superheroes had appeared in movies before, this was the first time a Black-led superhero film was made on such a massive scale—and clearly planned as a franchise.
People were eager to know when the movie would be released.
The Black community, in particular, voiced strong support for Norton's Eye and vowed to watch the film multiple times.
Of course, words were just words. Ethan wasn't concerned with public sentiment—he focused on trends.
He knew that a deeper conflict between Black and white communities in America was inevitable. The Black Lives Matter movement would emerge in a few years. Though some were already chanting "Black Lives Matter," the movement lacked a defining event to unite its cause.
For now, the Black community's activism remained too scattered and weak.
Ethan was preparing for the larger trend, aiming to claim Black Panther's box office success for himself.
However, perhaps due to Norton's Eye stirring up public interest in a Black superhero film, Marvel suddenly announced that Black Panther was officially entering production.
This news immediately overshadowed Split: Black Shadow.
After all, Black Panther had an established fanbase from the comics. Marvel had a stronger presence in the superhero genre than Norton's Eye. It was no surprise that Marvel's announcement attracted more attention.
Shortly after, Marvel kicked off its casting process. Fans began compiling lists of every Black male actor, analyzing who would be the best fit for the role.
For a time, Black Panther dominated headlines, while Split: Black Shadow faded from the spotlight.
Within Norton's Eye, many executives were worried.
"Ethan, come up with a killer marketing strategy and hit Marvel hard!" Jimmy punched the air in frustration in the office.
Ethan crossed his arms. "You seem to hate them a lot."
"Of course! They kept talking about working with us, then suddenly turned around and became our direct competition. How could I not be pissed?"
While Jimmy fumed, Ethan remained unfazed.
He took a sip of water and said, "Launching a marketing war now is inefficient. Let them run ahead for a while. Our priority is making the best movie possible."
"This isn't like you, Ethan. Aren't you the king of overtaking competitors in the final stretch?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't recognize Ethan anymore.
Ethan chuckled. "Overtaking on a curve is exciting—but crushing them in a straight race, leaving them no room to move, is just as satisfying."
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