Since teen star turned Louis Vuitton muse Zendaya Coleman was revealed to have landed a part in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, there’s been plenty of speculation as to the nature of her role.
Back in March, sources claimed that the Disney Channel actress would be taking a ‘key role’ in Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is set to star 20-year-old British actor Tom Holland as a high-school Peter Parker. Now, it’s been confirmed by two Marvel insiders that Zendaya will be taking on a pretty iconic part in the Spidey franchise – that of Spider-Man’s love interest Mary Jane Watson, a role last taken on by Kirsten Dunst in the 2002 to 2007 Spider-Man trilogy.
Zendaya’s casting will mark the first time that Parker’s love interest has been played by a non-white actress, a step forward for Marvel – the studio has previously been criticised for the lack of diversity in its movie line-ups.
This news follows the Comic-Con announcement that Oscar winner Brie Larson will be getting suited up to play Captain Marvel in the studio’s first ever female-led superhero movie. Meanwhile,Lupita Nyong’o will take on an as-yet-undisclosed role in the Black Panther spin-off film and The Night Manager's Elizabeth Debicki has joined the cast of Guardians Of The Galaxy 2. How's this for a girl squad?
Unless you’re familiar with the Disney Channel’s output, you probably won’t have encountered Zendaya’s oeuvre. Best known for her roles in teen series Shake It Up! And KC Undercover, she’s also a recurring member of Taylor Swift’s squad – and has the Bad Blood cameo to prove it. The actress is hardly basking in Tay’s reflected glory, though: she’s taken on Twitter trolls, gracefully handled a red carpet racism row, called out magazines for photoshopping, and landed the ultimate seal of approval by making a cameo in Beyoncé’s Lemonade.
Homecoming is slated for release in July next year. In the meantime, there’s always this video of Zendaya and Tom showcasing some impressive dance moves…
READ MORE: It's Official - Zendaya Is Our New Red Carpet Crush