Zendaya (Challengers) is aware of the tennis ‘prophecy’ set by former Spider-Man love interests Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone.
Zendaya is aware of the Spider-Man love interest’s “prophecy.” She stars in Challengers as a tennis prodigy, a similar route taken by Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone.
During an appearance on Good Morning America with her Challengers co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, Zendaya was asked about a viral meme connecting the three Spider-Man actresses. “What’s the pipeline?” Robin Roberts asked.
From the Spiderverse to the Tennis-verse!
Zendaya reacts to the meme showing all the “Spiderman” female leads then portraying tennis stars: “Maybe it’s some prophecy I need to fulfill.” 🎾 #Challengers pic.twitter.com/Vw1YV41bkX
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 23, 2024
“I don’t know. We were joking [and] I was like, ‘Maybe it’s some prophecy I need to fulfill,’” she said. “It’s quite funny, isn’t that? I don’t know. I guess it worked out for all of them… so!”
In Wimbledon, Kirsten Dunst plays a young tennis star. Paul Bettany and Jon Favreau are also in the film, who’d go on to star (and in the latter’s case, direct) in MCU films as Vision and Happy Hogan, respectively. Emma Stone starred in Battle of the Sexes as Billie Jean King.
Following in the actresses’ footsteps wouldn’t be a bad thing. They’ve both been nominated for Oscars in the past — Dunst received a Best Supporting Actress nod for The Power of the Dog and Stone has received four nominations. Stone just won her second Best Actress award for her performance in Poor Things.
Zendaya’s career
Zendaya got her start by leading Disney Channel sitcoms Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover from 2010-13 and 2015-18, respectively. During this period, she embarked on the “Swag It Out” tour and also opened for Bridgit Mendler on the “Summer” tour.
Her biggest role to date began in 2019 with HBO’s Euphoria. For her performance as Rue Bennett, Zendaya has received two Emmys and three more nominations. She is the youngest actress to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Two seasons and a couple of holiday specials have been released to date. The likes of Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and Maude Apatow also star in the HBO series.
Her MCU Spider-Man
After voicing a character in the Direct-to-DVD Super Buddies and Beyoncé’s Lemonade visual album, Zendaya made her big screen debut in the MCU’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. She plays MJ in the series, the love interest of her real-life partner Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
Of course, Zendaya would also star in Homecoming’s sequels. She starred in Far from Home and No Way Home in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Each of the final Spider-Man films in the trilogy grossed over $1 billion at the box office.
·
·
·
From there, she starred in The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. Her next feature film roles were voice roles in Duck Duck Goose and Smallfoot.
In 2021, Zendaya had a huge year. She voiced Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy and reunited with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson’s Malcolm and Marie. John David Washington also starred in the film.
Additionally, Zendaya starred in Dune (and its sequel, Dune: Part Two). She plays Chani, one of the leading faces of the film with Timothée Chalamet. In Challengers, she plays Tashi, a former tennis prodigy who has to coach her husband as he faces his former best friend and Tashi’s former lover. Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor also star in the film.
