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Fans of the Spider-Man film adaptations have started to notice a trend among the franchise's lead actors—they all seem to fall in love on set. The pattern goes all the way back to the original big-screen Spider-Man adaptation when Tobey Maguire fell for his co-star Kirsten Dunst. Not long after Andrew Garfield took over the superhero role, reports surfaced that he was dating Emma Stone. With the latest iteration of the franchise, starring Tom Holland and Zendaya in the lead roles, it seems it was only a matter of time before the stars fell for each other.
While speaking with the New York Times, Amy Pascal, the Sony producer behind Spider-Man, addressed this pattern of romance. According to Pascal, she advised each pairing not to fall for each other before filming began. As any fan of romance tropes know, this is pretty much a surefire way to ensure they will, indeed, fall for each other.
"I took Tom and Zendaya aside, separately, when we first cast them and gave them a lecture," Pascal divulged. "Don't go there – just don't. Try not to. I gave the same advice to Andrew and Emma. It can just complicate things, you know? And they all ignored me."
Though Holland and Zendaya have confirmed they're in a relationship, they tend to keep their private life out of the spotlight. During a recent photocall in London, however, Holland also paused a conversation with the Associated Press to praise his girlfriend. “There she is, looking beautiful, might I add—as ever,” he said. “[She’s] very wise, she’s like an owl. She’s like a wise owl.”
A source close to the on-and-off-screen love interests explained why their relationship works. "They both challenge each other and balance each other out,” the source dished to Us Weekly. While the insider says Zendaya was drawn to her co-star because "he makes her laugh," Holland fell for Zendaya because "she really helps guide him through the world of celebrity."
Though fans have shipped these two for quite some time now, the source says their relationship only recently turned romantic. “Zendaya and Tom started off as really great friends and stayed that way for a long while before things turned romantic,” the insider explained.