As a devoted fan of Zendaya’s captivating journey, I can’t help but marvel at how a rejection from Disney’s “The Descendants” paved the way for her meteoric rise to Hollywood stardom. It’s fascinating to think that the very role she yearned for so dearly might have kept her from gracing our screens as the enchanting MJ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Given her high profile as the actress who played Spider-Man in Hollywood, it’s challenging to envision a Hollywood executive overlooking Zendaya for a significant role these days. However, before Zendaya’s life was irrevocably altered by auditioning for Tom Holland’s MJ, she reportedly yearned for a part in the Disney Channel musical franchise, “The Descendants.” The rejection from that movie turned out to be serendipitous for her, as she has since become a household name.
What Happened With Disney’s Descendants?
Initially, Zendaya made her acting debut on Disney Channel’s comedy series “Shake It Up.” Later, she ventured into movies, making her big-screen premiere in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in 2017. Interestingly, when Cornelia Frame, a former VP of casting and talent relations at The Walt Disney Company, appeared on the “Magical Rewind” podcast, she shared that Zendaya persistently returned to audition for the TV musical role multiple times.
Zendaya made numerous attempts to secure the role in “Descendants”, a significant pursuit for her. She persisted through multiple auditions, expressing strong determination. However, despite her best efforts, she didn’t land the part. Reflecting on this now, I wonder if that was around the time Spider-Man opportunity came along. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, but often, something equally impressive comes your way instead. Zendaya invested a great deal of energy and hard work into “Descendants”, demonstrating the depth of passion actors have for their roles. It becomes clear why they value these opportunities so highly when you witness their dedication.
In the summer of 2015, The Descendants, a movie directed by Kenny Ortega from High School Musical fame, made its debut on Disney Channel. This musical tells the story of a group of teenagers who are the children of famous Disney villains. They join forces to rescue their imprisoned parents. You might have thought Zendaya would be competing for one of the lead female roles – perhaps the daughter of Maleficent or the daughter of the Evil Queen, but those parts were ultimately taken by Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson.
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Considering the dedication that the ex-Disney VP described Zendaya had for her role, it’s likely that losing it was quite challenging. Additionally, when Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was being cast, Zendaya was largely unfamiliar to Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal at that time.
Marvel And Sony Cast Zendaya On Talent Alone
Zendaya didn’t land the role of MJ in her initial Spider-Man film until early 2016. If she had been chosen for the Descendants part before that, she would have been busy filming the sequel at the time the Marvel movie was casting, and thus wouldn’t have joined the MCU. Instead, she was able to try out for the MJ role in Spider-Man.
It’s worth noting that despite her fame as a Disney child star, Amy Pascal revealed in an interview with Vogue (to her dismay) that she and Kevin Feige may not have known her as well as they should have.
In all sincerity, neither Kevin Feige nor myself recognized her initially. She appeared quite ordinary, with no makeup on and dressing casually, but when we saw her, our reaction was a genuine ‘Wow!’, realizing instantly that she had to be part of our film.
Not long ago, Zendaya might have experienced the pain of rejection when she wasn’t chosen for a significant Disney Channel film. Yet, today, she’s starred in some of the top-notch Spider-Man films and accomplished so much more, even on the silver screen! In fact, you can relive her early roles by subscribing to Disney+.
Initially, there were discussions about their height difference when Zendaya and Tom Holland were cast together, yet their pairing has generally been well-received. For instance, following their collaboration in ‘Homecoming’, Zendaya also starred in the 2017 musical film ‘The Greatest Showman’ alongside Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. Despite initial concerns, she truly excelled in her roles!
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2024-07-31 16:38