‘Spider-Man’ Producer Admits ‘Neither Kevin Feige Nor I Knew Who’ Zendaya Was When Casting Her as MJ: We ‘Felt Really Stupid’ When We Found Out

variety.com:

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Zendaya was already a big star when she was cast as MJ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” By that point in her career she had already amassed a huge following as the star of two Disney Channel hits, “Shake It Up” and “K.C.

Undercover,” plus popped up in Beyonce’s “Lemonade” film and was a runner-up on “Dancing With the Stars.” None of that apparently registered for “Spider-Man” producer Amy Pascal. “To be honest with you, neither [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige nor I knew who she was,” Pascal admitted in Vogue magazine as part of its Zendaya cover story. “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.’ And then we found out she was a totally famous person, and felt really stupid.” Feige and Pascal have produced all three of Zendaya’s “Spider-Man” movies, two of which have grossed more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

The films pair Zendaya opposite Tom Holland in the title role. Because Zendaya was already a star prior to entering the MCU (even if Feige and Pascal had no idea), the additional fame that greeted her thanks to Marvel wasn’t too destabilizing for her personal life.