Zendaya has been a professional actress and singer since her Disney days, and now she’s become one of the most popular and bankable stars in the business. This is partly thanks to her Emmy-winning performance in Euphoria (which can be streamed with a Max subscription), and has resulted in her going between TV to film. And, there are six Zendaya movies which stand out as the best in her career… so far.
It seems like the sky’s the limit for her career, and she’s been wildly busy over the past few years in particular. While I’m psyched to see what upcoming movies she’s involved in (hopefully including Spider-Man 4), there are a handful of film titles which stand out as her best. Alexa, play her song “Replay.”
Malcolm & Marie
Malcolm & Marie was released in 2021 for those with a Netflix subscription, and was a fascinating, two-person character study. Directed by Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, the black and white movie is a 106-minute story about a dysfunctional couple, played by Zendaya and John David Washington.
We follow as Malcolm and Marie come home from a night out, and have a long (slightly drunk) argument about the state of their relationship. Plus, Malcolm & Marie‘s ending puts in doubt who won said argument. With no other actors or scene changes, the movie shows what a truly compelling actress Zendaya is, despite over a decade age difference between her and her co-star. It would be just the start of her collaboration with Sam Levinson.
The Greatest Showman
Throughout her time as a Disney star (and her recording artist career), Zendaya proved she is a talented singer and dancer. So, landing a role in the movie musical The Greatest Showman seemed like the perfect project for her. As a surprise to no one, she absolutely shone while playing trapeze artist Anne Wheeler.
The Greatest Showman features music by Pasek & Paul, and is a fictional take take on P. T. Barnum’s life and career. Zendaya’s Anne is part of the side love story of the film, with her and Zac Efron‘s Phillip Carlyle being star-crossed due to being in an interracial relationship. She crushed her role, especially her big duet, “Rewrite the Stars,” from the Greatest Showman soundtrack. Luckily, for fans of this megahit movie, they can re-watch it over and over again with a Disney+ subscription.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Space Jam: A New Legacy was a somewhat controversial movie as soon as it was announced. Since the Michael Jordan-led 1996 hit was so beloved, there were some major shoes to fill… even with Lebron James at the top of the call list. When it finally released in theaters and on streaming with a Max subscription, we were introduced to another memorable Zendaya movie character.
While the new Space Jam movie might have failed to reach its sky-high expectations, there were some wins throughout its runtime. Chief among them was the decision to cast Zendaya as Lola Bunny, a character that made her debut in the ’96 flick. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she got more voice acting gigs in the future.
Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, so its sequel, Part Two, was wildly anticipated ahead of its release. While Dune 2 got delayed, it finally hit theaters in March of 2024. Zendaya’s character, Chani, went from a cameo to a leading player, and it’s definitely one of the 27 year-old actress’ best movie credits to date.
Dune 2 follows as Paul Atreides joins the Fremen, and eventually is hailed by extremists as the Lisan Al Gaib a.k.a. the messiah. Despite the high concept and sci-fi setting, Zendaya brought a surprisingly real take to Chani, serving as Paul’s lover and guide to the fremen. She also stands up against him during Dune: Part Two‘s ending, which sees Paul seemingly begin a Holy War. Her performance is, apparently, going to inspire how Villeneuve will approach the third Dune movie. For now we’ll have Chani’s first two appearances in the burgeoning franchise to re-watch.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Another big reason why Zendaya has become such a successful movie star is thanks to her performance in the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy, which has been shot and produced in quick succession. She made her debut as Michelle in Homecoming, a brand new character that happens to also go by the name MJ. She went on to reprise that role in the two sequels, with her part and importance to the overall MCU increasing with each new appearance.
As a result, it should be no surprising that Spider-Man: No Way Home is on the list of Zendaya’s best movies, and is her more significant appearance as MJ. Throughout the blockbuster, she and Ned get involved in Peter’s multiversal adventure, directly putting themselves in danger as a result. Unfortunately, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending saw everyone who loves Peter forget him, including MJ. We’ll just have to wait and see if/when she returns in an upcoming Marvel movie, and how she gets her memories back.
Challengers
Perhaps it should be no big surprise that Zendaya’s most recent film is on this list of her greatest movie roles. Directed by Call Me By Your Name filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers is a sports drama about Zendaya’s character, Tashi Duncan, and her two friends/lovers, played by Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.
The trailer for Challengers definitely teased the sexy, intense tone of the movie, and Zendaya has been receiving universal praise for her performance in the sports drama movie. The role is complicated and adult, showing that she’s got a place in the film world beyond genre work like Spider-Man and Dune. It should be fascinating to see how it is received moving forward, and if she’s able to get any award nominations for her performance as Tashi. One thing is clear: tennis icon Venus Williams is a fan, and vice versa.
With Zendaya continuing to book new work, it seems like only a matter of time before another major movie credit joins this list. We can definitely count on this, though: her career is only just beginning.