Zendaya: She almost starred in 'Descendants'

The 'Dune: Part Two' actress was a teen star for the Disney Channel thanks to shows like 'Shake It Up' and 'K.C. Undercover' and "really" wanted to be part of the network's film series, which starred Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, and the late Cameron Boyce as the children of classic Disney villains. Despite her numerous attempts to get a role, they were unsuccessful.

Cornelia Frame, the former Vice President of Casting and Talent Relations at Disney Channel, told the 'Magical Rewind' podcast: "Zendaya auditioned many times for 'Descendants,' and it was a big deal. I mean, a really big deal that she kept auditioning over and over again. She really wanted it, and in the end, it just didn't go as she had hoped." The executive noted that Zendaya "put in so much effort and so much work" into her auditions, but ultimately it was "just one of those things."

Frame believes that the 'Greatest Showman' actress's career would have taken a different path if she had landed the unknown role, as it might have prevented her from taking on her first film role in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming,' where she plays MJ. She added: "Now that I think about it, I wonder, 'Would 'Spider-Man' have happened at the same time?' Things happen for a reason, and you often book this other thing that's great when you don't get something else." The original 'Descendants' film was released in 2015, followed by sequels in 2017 and 2019, as well as spin-offs like 'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' – an animated film – and the newly released film 'Descendants: The Rise of Red.'