Zendaya Reveals Her Favorite Spider-Man Movie, and It’s Not the One You’d Expect

With ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ just weeks away, the press tour has kicked into high gear, and this round of interviews is proving to be a lot more revealing than the usual promotional small talk.

Rather than sticking to safe soundbites about the new film, Zendaya, Tom Holland, and Jacob Batalon sat down with Letterboxd for a conversation that turned into a genuine trip down memory lane, with the cast reacting to real fan reviews of the trilogy that first introduced Holland’s Peter Parker. Somewhere in that conversation, Zendaya ended up settling a long-running fan debate about which of the three earlier films actually holds up best, and her answer, highlighted by Geek Vibes Nation, was not the one most people would have guessed.

During the interview, the actress named ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ as her favorite installment in the trilogy, calling it the movie she returns to again and again.

Zendaya explained that Homecoming is her favorite of the first trilogy because it has a quality that makes it her comfort movie, adding that it feels cozy and good every time she watches it.

Zendaya was not alone in her assessment. Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon both agreed with her take on the film, with Holland adding that among superhero movies there really isn’t anything else quite like Homecoming, calling it a genuinely unique entry in the genre. Batalon also fondly recalled the film’s now iconic hoodie Spider-Man scene, describing it as a classic moment from the movie.

The conversation kicked off after the cast read a fan review from a Letterboxd user named Dawson Joyce, who described the first film as a witty, charming, John Hughes-style coming-of-age comedy that doubles as a colorful and well-constructed superhero movie grounded more in character than spectacle. Holland responded simply by giving credit to director Jon Watts for the film’s tone and success.

Watts went on to direct all three films in the trilogy, following Homecoming with Far From Home and No Way Home, before Destin Daniel Cretton took over directing duties for the newest installment. The interview arrives as part of the promotional push for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ which picks up the story years after the trilogy’s conclusion.

That fourth film follows Peter Parker in a new chapter of his story, living in a world that no longer remembers who he is after the events of No Way Home, as he battles new villains while fighting to protect a city that has forgotten his identity. The film represents a fresh creative direction for the franchise, moving away from the multiversal spectacle of its predecessor toward a more grounded, street-level take on the character.

Zendaya’s affection for Homecoming lines up with how the film has aged among fans more broadly, with many pointing to its lighter, high school-set tone as a refreshing contrast to the increasingly stakes-heavy sequels that followed.

The film marked Zendaya’s feature film debut and became the second most successful Spider-Man movie at the time of its release, grossing over 800 million dollars against a 175 million dollar budget. With ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ set to hit theaters on July 31, it seems even its own stars are still holding a soft spot for where the story all began.

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