Disney+ Just Quietly Put Zendaya’s Sexiest Movie of 2024 Back in the Spotlight

If you somehow missed Zendaya at her most magnetic, Disney+ is making sure that doesn’t happen twice. The official Disney+ account posted a teaser for ‘Challengers’ on May 3, captioning it “The drama is unmatched, on and off the court,” reminding bundle subscribers that the film is available to stream via Hulu on Disney+.

‘Challengers’ comes from director Luca Guadagnino and stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak played by Mike Faist, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend, played by Josh O’Connor.

In preparation for their roles, Zendaya, Faist, and O’Connor spent three months training with pro-tennis coach Brad Gilbert. Faist reportedly had to gain 30 pounds for the film, eating between 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day according to Gilbert himself. The dedication paid off, with the performances earning widespread critical praise.

Reviews for ‘Challengers’ were strong, landing a Certified Fresh score of 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film received four nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actress in a Motion Picture for Zendaya, and ultimately won Best Original Score for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

The timing of Disney+’s push is no accident. Zendaya is slated to front five major projects releasing in 2026 alone, including ‘The Drama’ opposite Robert Pattinson, ‘Euphoria’ Season 3, which already released, Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ and ‘Dune: Part Three.’ With the actress at the center of the cultural conversation like never before, the streamer is smart to resurface the film that reminded Hollywood she could carry a grown-up, prestige love story.

Season 3 of ‘Euphoria’ premiered April 12, with Zendaya reprising her Emmy-winning role as Rue Bennett. She will also play the goddess Athena in Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ arriving July 17, alongside Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. Zendaya herself has joked about going “into hiding for just a little bit” after all her projects have released this year.

For anyone who watched ‘Challengers’ when it first dropped and wants to revisit Zendaya at her most ruthlessly compelling, or for those catching it for the first time via the Disney+ bundle, this is as good a moment as any. If you’ve seen it, share what you thought about the film’s ending in the comments.