Zendaya has many exciting upcoming movies, but the roles in the films she’s already starred in showcase the success and longevity of her career. Though best known for her work in the Max original series Euphoria, as Rue, she has quickly made headway into the film world in various genres. So far, she has been part of several major franchises, like the MCU and the new adaptation of the Dune series. However, she has not been pigeonholed by either of these high-profile projects.
As a child actress, Zendaya started on the Disney Channel with shows like Shake It Up, and other Disney Channel Original movies. After that, she successfully transitioned into more adult roles and has long been viewed as an actress capable of taking on complex and difficult characters. Through her work with strong directors, and by choosing movies of many types and genres, she has paved the way for maintaining her fame and polishing her considerable skills.
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The first of the new Spider-Man movies was Spider-Man: Homecoming, which served as an introduction to MJ, and the new cast of characters who would be portraying the beloved characters. Though MJ evolves a lot over the three films, it’s in Homecoming that she has the opportunity to distinguish herself as a uniquely qualified actress for the role, and does excellent work finding the comedy in the narrative. Her MJ is a bit of an outcast, and a little bit strange, but this is what the audience, and Peter, come to love about her, and let her be a voice of reason amidst the fanatical elements of the film.
4. Malcolm & Marie (2021)
For Malcolm & Marie, Zendaya paired up again with the director and creator of Euphoria, Sam Levinson. Though Malcolm & Marie got mixed reviews, it still has a lot to offer in terms of the craft of the performers. The film is a marathon for herself and her costar, John David Washington, as they are the only two characters in the film, and it deals with emotionally wrought topics. Zendaya’s character, Marie, is the girlfriend of Malcolm (Washington), a writer-director, and the film portrays an all-night argument after the premiere of his new film.
It’s the work of the two actors that make the film, and the way they authentically play out the power dynamic between the characters. Though the premise and dialogue of the movie have been critiqued, it’s still an excellent example of what Zendaya is capable of as a performer. It’s clear that Zendaya’s work with Levinson has broadened her dramatic range, and that she will go on to inhabit many intricate characters in the future.
3. The Greatest Showman (2017)
The movie musical The Greatest Showman features Zendaya as Anne, an acrobat in P.T. Barnum’s circus (Hugh Jackman). Following a fictionalized account of Barnum opening his famous circus, the film is a grand spectacle that allows Zendaya to showcase the musical abilities she exhibited in her early years as a child actor.
Her chemistry with costar Zac Efron is an enjoyable feature of the film, and their sensitive love story is a welcome addition to the bombastic nature of the film. It will be intriguing to see if Zendaya seeks out roles in movie musicals in the future after the success of The Greatest Showman.
2. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the Marvel film that Zendaya has the most to do as MJ, and features the most development in her relationship with Peter. When the students of Peter’s and MJ’s high school go on a trip to Europe, Peter wants to tell MJ how he feels, but he gets swept up in hero work, and she finds out his secret. The moment when MJ confronts Peter about his secret identity is one of the funniest in the film thanks to Zendaya’s comedic timing, and seeing her get to be a part of the crime-fighting team is a satisfying end to the best film of the trio.
1. Dune (2021)
Though Zendaya’s Chani doesn’t get the most screen time in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, her presence hangs over the film and her mystery is an essential facet of the movie’s atmosphere. Paul (Timothée Chalamet) has recurring dreams about her and the future of their relationship, so when she finally appears in his film it’s a significant moment.
In her role, Zendaya seamlessly blends into the grand scale of the film and is not lost in the large set pieces and deep lore that Dune deals with. She holds her own and then some in the narrative, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats for the coming sequel.
