When Zendaya Almost Joined A Different Disney Franchise Instead Of Spider-Man

Zendaya needs no introduction, especially after her roles in two very popular and successful franchises – M.J. in the Spider-Man series and Chani in the Dune films. Whether it is her role as the messed-up and drug addict teen Rue Bennett in the Amazon Prime series Euphoria or as Tashi Donaldson in the recently released sports romance film Challengers, her loyal fans have loved it all. However, it might still surprise some to know that the actress had actually missed the chance to become a part of another beloved film series. If it had taken shape, it would have also possibly replaced her role in Spider-Man. Former Disney Channel executive Cornelia Frame has recently revealed that Zendaya auditioned “many times” for a role in the fantasy musical Descendants.

At that time, Zendaya had already made a name for herself with Disney Channel shows like Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover, as well as movies such as Frenemies and Zapped. “Zendaya did audition many times for Descendants and that was a big deal,” Frame shared on the Magical Rewind podcast. “I mean, a really big deal that she auditioned over and over. She really wanted it and it just ended up not going her way,” she added.

Frame also pointed out that Zendaya had “put so much effort and so much work” into her auditions, but it ultimately didn’t work out. “Now that I think about it, I’m like, ‘Would Spider-Man have happened right at that same time?’ Things happen for a reason, and you do often book this other thing that’s amazing when you don’t get something else,” Frame added, reports Comicbook.

Although Zendaya didn’t land a role in Descendants, the original three movies became very popular. The franchise had actors Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart and Cameron Boyce in key roles. The first film was released in 2015, followed by sequels in 2017 and 2019. The Descendants franchise also led to three TV series – Descendants: School of Secrets, Descendants: Wicked World, and the animated short prequel The Planning of the Royal Wedding), three short films, two TV specials, several novels and another sequel film, Descendants: The Rise of Red, which came out earlier this year.