Zendaya Lands a Leading Role in ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot
It appears that Disney sweetheart Zendaya is set to break through to the mainstream, as Sony and Marvel’s “Spider-Man” reboot has cast the “K.C. Undercover” star in a lead role, Deadline reports. However, said character is named Michelle—not Mary Jane Watson or Gwen Stacy—so it’s unclear if a new character is entering the fray or the studio is just being coy.
Either way, there’s a good chance this version of the beloved franchise might be more diverse, as The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit tweeted that Sony and Marvel are actively seeking a supporting cast of color. Spidey/Peter Parker will be played by Tom Holland, who’s white and British, so here’s hoping Zendaya ends up as Mary-Jane or Gwen, both love interests for the superhero, rather than a token member of their girl squad, or something similarly lame.
Sources tell me that Marvel/Sony has been looking to go heavily non-white with the SPIDER-MAN supporting cast.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) March 7, 2016
The stylish star started her career on the Disney series “Shake It Up” at the tender age of 13, and now stars in the network’s “K.C. Undercover,” on which she plays a teenage math genius and secret spy. Impressively, the 19-year-old also has a producer credit on the series. Zendaya also was the youngest person to compete on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” where she made it all the way to the final round; she’s an accomplished singer with a self-titled album; and she’s a bona fide social media star with more than 22 million followers on Instagram, so yeah: Smart move, Marvel.
