Fans Claim Zendaya Will Turn Down Will Smith’s Movie Role After He Butchers Her Name: ‘I Would Feel Disrespected’

Could Will Smith and Zendaya be future co-stars? The Bad Boys actor revealed he’s eyeing the Euphoria star for a role in a Hancock sequel. He hasn’t asked Zendaya if she’s interested yet. However, Smith expressed excitement over the possibility of her signing on to the movie. As for fans, they seem to have mixed feelings about the whole thing. Apart from being unsure the superhero flick even needs a sequel, they’re not very supportive of the pair working together after Smith failed to pronounce Zendaya’s name right when talking about her.

Are Will Smith and Zendaya Starring In A ‘Hancock’ Sequel Together?

Will Smith teased a Hancock sequel while making a surprise appearance on xQc’s latest Twitch livestream. At one point during the broadcast, the actor revealed that the team behind the film had come up with a few storylines, one of which he couldn’t stop thinking about. “There’s a really cool Hancock 2 idea,” Smith said. “We haven’t even talked about it.”

The reason he’s especially excited about a specific script is that it involves Zendaya. “I’m going to give you one little piece. Zendaya [is] being approached for a role in Hancock 2,” Smith said.

He didn’t go into detail about the character he had in mind for the actress. However, a popular theory is that Will Smith and Zendaya could play a father-daughter duo. Some fans also think the sequel could follow Smith mentoring Zendaya to become a superhero.

While some hope a Hancock sequel involving Zendaya turns into a reality, others aren’t too enthusiastic about the idea. They feel Hancock may not necessarily need a second movie. Some fans also still haven’t forgiven Will Smith for his Oscars controversy in 2022. On top of that, people are criticizing the actor for butchering Zendaya’s name during the livestream. Instead of pronouncing her name like “Zen-day-uh,” he said, “Zen-die-uh.”

“Zen DAY a…,” a fan wrote, correcting Smith. “He mispronounced her name smh,” another person commented. “Sure she’ll say no,” read another comment. One fan even said they “would feel disrespected” if they were Zendaya after Smith not only got her name wrong but talked about her involvement even before having a conversation with the actress herself.

Related: Tom Holland Praised as ‘A Class Act’ by Zendaya’s Family After Months of Planning His Proposal

What We Know About the Sequel So Far

Hancock is a 2008 superhero film directed by Peter Berg. The film stars Will Smith as John Hancock, a reckless superhero living in Los Angeles who spends his days drinking. He can’t seem to remember anything about his past. However, he starts piecing things together after receiving help from a couple (Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman).

Talks about a possible Hancock sequel have been around before the movie even hit theaters. Following its release, Smith continued to tease the sequel by saying a follow-up film would focus on worldbuilding. Theron even confirmed she was interested in reprising her role.

While a second film seemed like it was happening, the project has failed to make progress over the years. However, Smith’s latest comments prove it hasn’t been forgotten about. It may only be a matter of time before more information about the movie comes out soon.