Moviefone Editorial

Tag: zendaya

  • First ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Clip Reveals Peter Parker’s Secret

    2017 MTV Movie And TV Awards - ShowUnderoos is uncovered in a new scene from “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” The clip debuted at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards, presented by stars Tom Holland and Zendaya.

    Marvel has shown fans a couple of trailers, but this is the first full scene the studio has released before the July 7th premiere. In it, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) creeps home as Spider-Man, to the shock of his buddy Ned (Jacob Batalon), who was hanging out in his room, ready to finish building a Death Star together. (They’re going to need to start from scratch now.)

    So the clip reveals that at least one friend is now in-the-know, and Ned is suitably impressed, not only with the fact that Peter is “the Spider-Man,” but that Peter knows Tony Stark.

    Ned: “Are you an Avenger?!”
    Peter: “Basically.”

    The clip also ends with some high school ribbing from Zendaya’s Michelle — “What are you hiding, Peter?”:

    Here’s the official movie synopsis from Marvel:

    “A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.”

    “Homecoming” arrives in theaters July 7.

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  • Zendaya’s ‘Spider-Man’ Character ‘Is Not Romantic’ With Peter Parker

    Who exactly is Zendaya playing in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”? She was rumored to be playing Mary Jane Watson, opposite Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker. But maybe not? Zendaya just talked to The Hollywood Reporter about her role, and the backlash to the idea of her role, and the way she described her character may make you rethink everything.

    Here’s part of her Q&A:

    Is your character — whoever she may be — romantically involved with Peter Parker?

    “No [laughs]. My character is not romantic. My character is like very dry, awkward, intellectual and because she’s so smart, she just feels like she doesn’t need to talk to people, like ‘My brain is so far ahead of you that you’re just not really on my level.’ So she comes off very weird. But to me, she is very cool because she’s deep. She’s always thinking about something, always reading. I like that. And I also like that I don’t really have to do anything for hair and makeup. I just get to walk in and walk out.”

    In the comic, Mary Jane Watson was an aspiring actress. Gwen Stacy, another one of Peter’s major love interests, was the one known for her good grades, who went on to study biochemistry at university. Maybe Zendaya’s character is a bit of both? Someone else from the comics? Someone entirely new?

    Here’s Z’s reaction to the “controversy” over her possibly playing an African-American Mary Jane:

    “People are going to react over anything. But nothing [about who she is playing] is fact. It’s like, you guys are just making sh*t up at this point and then reacting to it. Whenever we were on set, one of us gets some random character name [on the call sheet]. [Bloggers were] like, ‘Oh they must be so and so.’ And we just crack up about it, because it’s like, ‘Whatever you want to think. You’ll find out.’ It’s funny to watch the guessing game. But of course there’s going to be outrage over that because for some reason some people just aren’t ready. I’m like, ‘I don’t know what America you live in, but from what I see when I walk outside my streets of New York right now, I see lots of diversity and I see the real world and it’s beautiful, and that’s what should be reflected and that’s what is reflected so you’re just going to have to get over it.’”

    “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” the 16th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is scheduled for release on July 7th, 2017.

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  • Zendaya’s Role in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ May Be Bigger Than We Thought

    Marvel Studios Hall H PanelEarlier this year, news broke that actress and singer Zendaya would be joining the upcoming “Spider-Man” reboot flick, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” in a mysterious role. Only a handful of clues were given about the part, including that it was described as a “key” one, and her character was rumored to be named Michelle. At the time, there were conflicting reports about just how big her role would be and what it would entail, with some sites claiming she was definitively not playing a love interest, and others suggesting that the part wasn’t considered a lead (though her role would expand later on in the franchise).

    Now, a new report is claiming that those last few bits of intel are perhaps wrong, with Zendaya’s role turning out to be much more crucial than we thought. According to TheWrap, the actress will in fact be playing none other than iconic “Spider-Man” love interest Mary Jane Watson. (“Michelle,” according to the trade, was simply a decoy name for the part.)

    Obviously, that role would be a huge factor in the film, since MJ was the apple of Peter Parker’s eye during his high school days, and “Homecoming” is set during Spidey’s formative teen years. And Zendaya’s casting in the part is particularly significant, since Mary Jane is white in the comics (and was previously played by actress Kirsten Dunst in the first run of “Spider-Man” flicks from the early 2000s). If true, this colorblind casting would be a big step in the right direction for Marvel’s move toward a more diverse lineup of heroes.

    Neither Sony nor Marvel would comment on TheWrap’s report, and the notoriously secretive producers seem unlikely to confirm this news before the flick premieres. Guess we’ll have to wait a while before we know for sure just how significant Zendaya’s role is.

    “Spider-Man: Homecoming” swings into theaters on July 7, 2017.

    [via: TheWrap]

    Photo credit: Getty Images for Disney

  • Zendaya Joins ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot in Mysterious Key Role

    FIJI Water At The Weinstein Company's Pre-Oscar DinnerMarvel and Sony’s joint reboot of the “Spider-Man” franchise has cast a mysterious new role, with actress and singer Zendaya joining the ensemble.

    Deadline reports that Zendaya will play “a key role” in the new Spidey flick, alongside titular star Tom Holland. Just what that role entails remains to be seen, however, since plot details are being kept heavily under wraps.

    According to Deadline, it’s unlikely that the actress will be playing a romantic role (like famous Peter Parker girlfriends Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy); her character’s name is believed to be Michelle. Variety has some additional intel, confirming Deadline’s report that Zendaya won’t be a love interest, and adding that the actress isn’t even considered to be a lead in the flick. Instead, Variety says, “She will, however, play a bigger part in future installments.”

    The new “Spider-Man” franchise — the third iteration of the character to hit the big screen since 2002 — is going back to Peter Parker’s high school days, and will apparently have a John Hughes vibe. Zendaya is no stranger to catering to the teenage crowd, having gotten her start on Disney programs “Shake It Up!” and “K.C. Undercover.” The actress has graduated to more adult fare in recent years, including appearances on “Dancing With the Stars” and a guest starring gig on “Black-ish.”

    “Spider-Man” is set to hit theaters on July 7, 2017.

    [via: Deadline, Variety]

    Photo credit: Getty Images for FIJI Water

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