[Note: Marvel’s been keeping this character’s identity under pretty tight wraps, so it’s worth noting that this will probably spoil a major-ish plot reveal for Spider-Man Homecoming.]
Ever since she was cast in the latest Spider-Man reboot, Homecoming, people have been speculating about where Zendaya fits in the overall Peter Parker mythos. Was she a potential love interest, the MCU equivalent to Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacey, or one of Spidey’s other romantic partners? (Michelle Gonzalez, from the comics’ late-2000s run, was a popular guess, mostly based off of her sharing a first name with the character.) All of that guesswork was complicated by her obvious disdain for Peter in the film’s trailers, but hey: It wouldn’t be Spider-Man if love came easy for our friendly neighborhood web-slinger.
Now, however, Nerdist appears to have uncovered a major clue to the character’s identity, in a relatively unlikely place: The junior novelization for the upcoming film.