These days, considering the Spider-Man actress’ notoriety in Hollywood, it’s hard to imagine any Hollywood executive letting Zendaya pass them by for a major role. But ahead of Zendaya’s life changing forever with her audition to be Tom Holland’s MJ, she apparently really wanted to be in a popular Disney Channel musical franchise by the name of The Descendants. The rejection from the movie ultimately ended up being fortuitous for the now a-lister, however.
What Happened With Disney's Descendants?
After all, Zendaya did get her start as a Disney Channel kid in the comedy series Shake It Up before spreading her wings in the movies with her big-screen debut in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. When Cornelia Frame, who was VP of casting and talent relations at The Walt Disney Company for 18 years, guested on the Magical Rewind podcast, she revealed she saw Zendaya come back and back for more trying to land the TV musical:
Zendaya did audition many times for Descendants, and that was a big deal. A really big deal that she auditioned over and over. She really wanted it, and it just ended up not going her way. Now that I think about it, I’m like ‘Would Spider-Man have happened right at that same time?’ Because it really is true. Things happen for a reason, and you do often book this other thing that’s amazing when you don’t get something else. But Zendaya definitely put so much effort and so much work into it too. It’s one of those things that you understand when people want these roles, how important it is.
The Descendants premiered in the summer of 2015 on Disney Channel to become one of the most-watched original movies in cable history. The musical helmed by High School Musical director Kenny Ortega follows a group of teenaged children of famed Disney villains who work together to free their parents from captivity. I'd imagine Zendaya was vying for one of the leading female roles – either the daughter of Maleficent or the daughter of the Evil Queen, which went on to be nabbed by Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson, respectively.
Why Zendaya Is Grateful To Still Consider Herself A Disney Kid
Given the effort the former Disney VP is detailing Zendaya put in for the role, I'd imagine losing the gig was hard. It also meant that when Tom Holland's Spider-Man debut was coming together, she was a relative unknown to Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal.
Marvel And Sony Cast Zendaya On Talent Alone
Zendaya wasn’t cast as MJ in her first Spider-Man film until early 2016, but it’s very likely if she did get the Descendants part she would have been tied up with filming the 2017 sequel during the casting process of the Marvel movie and never would have become part of the MCU. Instead, she was able to audition for the role of MJ.
Interestingly, while the actress had been a child star at Disney, Amy Pascal admitted in a profile with Vogue (much to her chagrin) that she and Kevin Feige weren't as aware of her as they could have been.
To be honest with you, neither Kevin Feige nor I knew who she was. 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.'
Just a short time before, Zendaya must have felt the sting of rejection when she didn’t get cast in a major Disney Channel movie, but look at her now! She’s been in some of the best Spider-Man movies and done so, so much more -- and on the big screen to boot. And you can still catch her early roles with a Disney+ subscription.
There were some concerns over Zendaya and Tom Holland's height difference early on but, in general, the casting opposite her now-boyfriend has been celebrated. Along with Homecoming, Zendaya was cast in a major movie musical with 2017’s The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. She really made the dream work anyway!
