Spider-Man: Homecoming producer Amy Pascal reveals that she and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige were unfamiliar with Zendaya when she auditioned to play MJ.
“To be honest with you, neither Kevin Feige nor I knew who she was,” Pascal recalled in a Vogue spotlight about the MCU star. “She was wearing no makeup and she was just dressed like a regular girl, and we were like, ‘Oh my God, she’s amazing. She has to be in the movie.’ And then we found out she was a totally famous person, and felt really stupid.”
Before her casting as Michelle Jones-Watson, Zendaya was best known for her roles on the Disney Channel sitcoms Shake It Up (2010-2013) and K.C. Undercover (2015-2018). Reimagined as a quirky but likable version of Marvel’s Mary Jane-Watson, Zendaya’s role grew in the Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy from a background character to Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) love interest. Simultaneously, Zendaya’s profile in Hollywood expanded with hits such as HBO’s Euphoria and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise.
The status of Spider-Man 4
It is unknown if Zendaya will be back opposite Holland in Spider-Man 4. The previous installment, Spider-Man: No Way Home, saw Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) erase MJ and the world’s memories of Peter Parker. As the sequel remains in active development, Pascal teased the direction of Peter’s next chapter.
“At the end of the movie we just made, you see Spider-Man make a momentous decision, one that you’ve never seen him make before,” Pascal said during No Way Home’s promotion in 2021. “It’s a sacrifice. And that gives us a lot to work with for the next film.”
Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 4 does not have a release date. Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequels are now streaming on Disney+.
