Top 5 Zendaya movies to watch on her birthday that are not from the MCU

Zendaya isn’t just Marvel’s MJ; she’s an entire cultural moment. As the Emmy-winning actor, style icon, and generational voice turns another year older, fans across the world are looking for the perfect way to celebrate her birthday. While the Spider-Man trilogy might be her most mainstream claim to fame, limiting her career to the MCU misses the point.

From the claustrophobic passion of Malcolm & Marie to the sprawling deserts of Dune, and the sweaty intensity of Challengers to her playful voice work in Space Jam: A New Legacy, these five picks prove Zendaya is not just a star; she’s a cinematic force.

Malcolm and Marie

Malcolm & Marie begins in celebration: Malcolm, a filmmaker, returns home from his premiere ready to bask in praise. But Marie, his partner, sits in silence. One missing thank-you in his speech cracks the veneer, and what follows is less an argument than a dissection. Every wound between them is reopened. Every truth is weaponized. Desire mixes with contempt until the air feels unbreathable. The conditions behind the film are as claustrophobic as the story itself.

Conceived during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Sam Levinson sought to create something intimate enough to survive restrictions. The film’s very existence is as unconventional as its story. In the thick of the lockdowns, Levinson pitched Zendaya a stripped-down idea: a two-person play disguised as a film.

With Euphoria stalled, she jumped in, bringing John David Washington with her. The project was filmed in secret at the minimalist Caterpillar House in Carmel, with a skeleton crew quarantined on-site. Zendaya and Washington even styled themselves; no hair or makeup artists were in sight. The choice to shoot on black-and-white 35 mm added a stark, timeless frame to their volatile chemistry. It's one of the films that shows Zendaya's range as an actress because of how effortlessly she steps into a role that is different than her usual roles as MJ and Rue.

Available to stream on: Netflix

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman was a full-on glitter explosion of dreams, drama, and high-flying spectacle. Sure, Hugh Jackman runs the show as P. T. Barnum, but let’s be real, Zendaya as Anne Wheeler totally steals the spotlight. She’s a fearless trapeze artist twirling through the air like gravity’s just a suggestion, and when her romance with Zac Efron’s uptight rich boy Phillip heats up? Chef’s kiss.

Their duet Rewrite The Stars became one of the biggest moments of Zendaya's music career. Released in 2017, it’s still the kind of movie you throw on when you want to dream big, dance bigger, and maybe run away to the circus.

Zendaya's role in the film, although not the lead, is one of the best things about it. She gained much acclaim for the physical efforts she put into her role as she practiced as a trapeze artist. It highlights her diverse abilities when it comes to acting; she can play both the sidekick girlfriend and the acrobat showgirl.

Available to stream on: Prime Video

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Space Jam: A New Legacy is basically what happens when basketball, cartoons, and dad drama collide in the loudest, craziest way possible. LeBron James gets sucked into a digital warzone by a rogue AI, Al-G Rhythm, and suddenly he’s got to form the ultimate team of Looney Tunes to win a high-stakes basketball game or lose his son and everyone else trapped in the Serververse. Chaos, CGI madness, and meme-worthy moments? Check, check, and check.

Zendaya plays Lola Bunny, an iconic character from the Looney Tunes, and yes, she owns it perfectly. The plot bounces from insane basketball tricks to over-the-top powers to full-on Serververse chaos, but the heart of it is actually simple: teamwork, listening, and letting everyone shine, even a talking bunny with a serious attitude. LeBron finally chills, Dom gets his ideas heard, and Lola… well, she’s basically the MVP. Messy, wild, and 100% extra. The film is pure cartoon energy; you can’t take your eyes off.

Available to stream on: Prime Video

The Dune franchise

In a universe where spice rules everything, Dune: Part One launches us into the sun-scorched deserts of Arrakis, the galaxy’s most dangerous playground. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this 2021 epic is a sensory blitz of politics, prophecy, and sandworms the size of skyscrapers. Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides is a young noble haunted by visions of a bloody future, torn between destiny and survival, while Zendaya’s Chani adds depth and skepticism to the mythic tapestry.

The actress played Chani across both films in the franchise, with a third one releasing soon. What stands out about her role is how she transforms Chani into more than just Paul's love interest and is a significant character in herself. Villeneuve’s Chani diverges from Frank Herbert’s book version, being less unwaveringly loyal and more wary of Paul’s growing power and the weight of his promises. When Paul vows to marry Princess Irulan and seize the Emperor’s throne, Chani rejects submission, riding a sandworm into her own destiny.

Under Zendaya, Chani transforms into a deeper, stronger role, and as the franchise continues to grow, it's definitely one of the highlights of her career.

Available to stream on: Prime Video

Challengers

In Challengers, Zendaya serves up more than tennis. She’s Tashi Duncan, a fiercely ambitious star whose talent is only rivaled by her heart. Across 13 years, Tashi navigates love, rivalry, and heartbreak between her ex, low-circuit player Art Donaldson, played by Josh O’Connor, and her tennis-champion husband, Patrick Zweig, played by Mike Faist.

From junior US Open flings to career-ending injuries, Tashi transforms setbacks into strategy, turning Art into a contender while keeping Patrick tangled in temptation. The story crescendos at a Challenger final where both men face off, and Tashi is both puppet master and pulse of the match, balancing loyalty, lust, and legacy with razor-sharp precision.

Zendaya radiates magnetic energy, blending grit, glamor, and unpredictability, making Tashi unforgettable. Challengers is less a sports movie and more a love-and-tennis opera, with Tashi at its chaotic, beautiful center. Every swing, every glance, and every whispered plan belongs to her; this is her arena, and she owns it.

Available to stream on: Prime Video