Credit: Pascal PicturesAt 27 years old, Zendaya is taking on an entirely new role: that of motherhood. For the first time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe star will be portraying a mom in her upcoming Luca Guadagnino sports drama movie, Challengers.
In a new feature with Empire Magazine, Zendaya revealed that her character Tashi Duncan will have a child; while the former Disney Channel actress has been playing mature parts more frequently of late, it is likely that many fans still picture her as the star of KC Undercover or as the teenage MJ in the MCU Spider-Man movies alongside her real-life boyfriend Tom Holland.
However, it seems likely that Zendaya is ready to move on to non-teen-themed movies, such as the upcoming Denis Villeneuve science fiction epic Dune: Part 2, which is said to feature the star in a gory, brutally violent part as the Fremen leader Chani.
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While Challengers will (almost) certainly not involve any of the interstellar warfare and labyrinthine political plotting of Dune: Part 2, it does appear to be a pretty big leap in Zendaya’s career in its own way.
Challengers will star Zendaya as the wife and coach of a Tennis Grand Slam champion (Josh O’Connor), who creates an intense romantic and sexual triangle when she signs her spouse up for a match against a former lover (Mike Faist). Based on the images released so far, the Luca Guadagnino film will lead to some pretty steamy places.
In the Empire feature, Zendaya says to co-star Josh O’Connor, “You weren’t there. It was a scene in the hotel [between Tashi and Art]. First day, it was, ‘You’re a married couple with a kid.’ Okay. Alright. Right in the deep end;” O’Connor responded, “I was like, ‘Can we not [start with] a scene with all three of us in it?’… I was back in my hotel getting texts saying, ‘Oh my God, these guys are incredible!” I was like, ‘I’ve got to do so much more work!'”
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At the moment, it is unclear what part Zendaya’s on-screen child might have to do with the plot or if it is something more akin to a backstory for her character; at the very least, it is a clear indication that the Euphoria star is ready to expand past the roles she is best known for.
Can you imagine Zendaya as a mother in a film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!