The Challengers Prove Zendaya Is a Generation’s Modern Hollywood Icon

All three Spider-Man films and The Greatest Showman were huge box office successes and helped make Zendaya an international star.

However, Zendaya’s career trajectory appears to have gained even more credibility, with her roles in front of and behind the camera as star and executive producer of the hit HBO drama series Euphoria, which saw her take on the role of the teenage drug addict Rue Bennett. .

A haunting, raw and bristling turn as Rue earned Zendaya even more critical adoration and also saw her win Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

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The special episode, centered on Rue and filmed during the COVID pandemic, notably showed her ability to hold the audience’s attention, with a turn worthy of her scene partner, the brilliant Colman Domingo.

The star then proved her power with a lauded turn in the controversial film Malcolm & Marie, reuniting her with Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson and featuring Tenet star John David Washington once again showing her maturity, his ambition and charisma as an artist – without a doubt. the duo’s highlight of the COVID era. There was even speculation about an Oscar nomination – which wouldn’t have been undeserved – but unfortunately it didn’t happen.

Zendaya continued to make her mark with a memorable but brief role as Chani in the 2021 hit film Dune, with the promise of a bigger role in the inevitable sequel.

Now, 2024 is here, and with two blockbuster films, Zendaya’s rise has now reached stratospheric levels – like never before.

Dune: Part Two sees Zendaya transcend being simply a romantic interest in Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, with Chani becoming the film‘s moral compass and almost an audience surrogate. This wouldn’t be possible without Zendaya’s stoic and empathetic performance, who delivers a fierce but conflicted character, whose emotions capture the wonderfully dark and thought-provoking final scenes.

Zendaya, along with her stylist Law Roach, has also proven to be a lightning rod for publicizing the film with her countless red carpet looks promoting the film with looks so in line with the film‘s aesthetic and themes. Social media is constantly ablaze with her looks, proving that not only does looks get you far, but so does marketing savvy.

Yet for all the skill and grace that has been put into his work both on and off screen with Dune: Part Two, it’s Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama, Challengers, that crystallizes Zendaya’s skills so far.

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As Tashi Duncan, Zendaya demonstrates fierceness, vulnerability and sensuality. Taking the audience through Tashi’s metamorphosis from a young, arrogant tennis prodigy to a strong, determined, enigmatic and ruthless adult woman at the peak of her tennis coaching powers, Zendaya feels every inch the leading lady of Hollywood.

While the film centers on a love triangle, Tashi feels like the driving force of the narrative, being the troublemaker, or “homewrecker” as she calls herself, between longtime friends Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor). ).

Notably, Zendaya’s own convincing performance, aided by Justin Kuritzkes’ hard-hitting script, helps elevate Tashi to near-iconic status and feels like a mirror image of Zendaya’s arrival as a full-time leading lady.

Armed with chic clothes by Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and a sleek, bouncy bob in current scenes, Zendaya draws the eye but maintains an internalized gravitas in her relationship with the camera and with the audience – even when she door big f***. -excluding glasses.

It’s not just in her performance as Tashi, as we know Zendaya is an executive producer on the film and worked closely with director Guadagnino and screenwriter Kuritzkes to shape not only Tashi, but also to support and create the film together.

Like her work on Euphoria, Zendaya demonstrates creative decision-making skills across the board and uses her star power to benefit the production.

Similar to her work on press tours for the Dune films, Zendaya’s role in marketing and her style choices also helped bring so much attention to the film – covering the front pages of magazines and websites, showcasing endless viral videos and maintaining his integrity and magnetism everywhere – a PR marvel.

Ultimately, Zendaya feels gifted beyond her years and with a maturity that matches such a young age – she’s the modern Hollywood icon of a generation and it feels like we don’t have her not even seen at its best yet.

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Challengers is now available in theaters.

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