Zendaya has many iconic roles under her name, but the one that really propelled her to popularity was MJ’s character that she played alongside her beau Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man’. Her relationship with the franchise may have ended on screen, but her love for Spider-Man persists as she herself admitted during an interview.
While the reprisal of her role as MJ in future Spider-Man films remains uncertain, her recently released film ‘Challengers‘ has surprised fans with a fascinating connection with the Spider-Man Universe. Here’s what Luca Guadagnino’s latest film has in store for Spider-Man fans.
Zendaya’s ‘Challengers’ Surprises Marvel Fans With Mention Of ‘Spider-Verse’
Zendaya is bringing her magic back in the recently released film ‘Challengers‘, with her character of a tennis prodigy, Tashi. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, ‘Challengers’ has a delightful reference to Zendaya’s most popular film franchise Spider-Man.
In the film, the reference to the superhero comes up when Zendaya’s character is discussing tennis with her husband Art, portrayed by Mike Faist. Their daughter Lily interrupts the conversation and insists on watching the animated ‘Spider-Verse’ film.
The mention of the Marvel superhero came as a delightful mention for Spider-Man fans and sparked speculation about what it might mean. Though Zendaya has not directly been a part of the Spider-Verse animated film, her connection with the Spider-Verse makes the reference in ‘Challengers‘ an Easter egg.
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Luca Gudagnino Says The Mention Of ‘Spider-Verse’ In ‘Challengers’ Was A Strategic Move
Speaking about the connection between ‘Challengers‘ and ‘Spider-Verse‘, director Luca Guadagnino clarified that the mention of the latter in the former was not intentional but rather a strategic choice to simplify the process of obtaining rights for a film.
“When you get rights for something to be used in a movie, it’s very complicated,” Guadagnino explained in an interview with EW. “Amy Pascal, our amazing producer, was of help there. I said, ‘Amy, can we use one of your catalog titles so it’s going to be easier to clear them?'”
“(Lily)’s a girl; she’s not going to choose to watch The Social Network or The Post, but maybe she’s going to watch a Spider-Man cartoon, so I said, ‘Why not Spider-Verse?’” he recalled saying at the time. He further said that he had just realized it sounded like an in-joke, “which, you know, the unconscious guides us all the time.”
Intentional or not, the Marvel reference in ‘Challengers‘ has definitely left Spider-Man fans delighted. ‘Challengers‘ is now in theatres.
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