Zendaya reveals how many times she auditioned for Spider-Man

Getting a part in a comic book movie, or specifically a superhero movie, is a pretty big deal for any actor. But if you're already famous surely that it's just a shoo-in? According to Disney Channel star Zendaya, for instance, who just landed a part in the next Spider-Man film, that's a massive misconception. Sounds like she did all the auditions.

During her recent appearance on The Ellen Show she didn't 'fess up any juicy details on the movie - “I can’t say anything else other than I’m going to be in it,” - but she did reveal a bit about how she scored the part. “It’s very exciting. When it comes to the acting space, I’m basically unknown. I’ve never been in a real movie before or anything like that, so I had to start from the bottom like anyone else."

"I auditioned and auditioned and auditioned and [broke] down those walls because a lot of people do have that pre-conceived notion of who I am based off previous things I’ve done, so you got to really break that down and go hard, put in the work, take all the meetings, take all the auditions.” You can check out the full interview in the video below:

There you have it folks; just because you're famous doesn't mean the gig's yours. Her hard work clearly paid off, as she won what's being termed a "key role" in the movie. Apart from Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Marisa Tomei as his Aunt May, hers is the only other part cast so far.

She's said to be playing a mysterious character named Michelle. She's mysterious because, well, we've no idea who she is. In the comics, Peter Parker once had a roommate named Michelle Gonzalez but she wasn't a major player. It's possible she's playing a reworked version of that character or someone else entirely who just happens to have the same name. Hey, this is the movies, anything can happen!

Directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, and Zendaya, the untitled Spider-Man reboot arrives July 7, 2017.

Images: Disney

Gem Seddon

Gem Seddon is GamesRadar+'s west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.