A Controversial Zendaya Series Adds Cast To Second Season

A controversial, but popular, Zendaya series has added a bunch of new cast members for its second season. This show is really growing.

By Tristan Zelden | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

zendaya euphoria

HBO’s Euphoria is starting to pick up steam for its next season. The show led by Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home, No Way Home) got a cast update for some new regulars that will come into the mix.

The second outing of the series with Zendaya will introduce musicians Dominic Fike, and Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. With them will be actress Minka Kelly (Titans). No information was given about their characters, but there are rumors. Kelly is supposedly going to play as a drug addict housewife. Flenory is rumored to play a new love interest for Alexa Dernie’s (Mid90s) character Maddy. For Fike, there is nothing on who he will be in the drama, but this will mark his acting debut. Meanwhile, this is the second acting gig for Flenory, who played his father – druglord and BMF record label founder Big Meech – in Black Mafia Family.

COVID-19 put the teen drama with Zendaya on pause. Last year was meant to start production on the sophomore season, but when the pandemic hit, it shut down productions across the whole industry. It was only until this year when the ball got rolling. But the pandemic did not completely stop the show. Two special were released with Trouble Don’t Last Always in December of last year, and this past January saw Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob.

zendaya euphoria

Euphoria has been a huge success for HBO and its leading star Zendaya. That does not mean it has had its fair share of controversies. The series follows teenagers as they go through high school. It explores sex, violence, mental illness, and more topics in a realistic and mature sense that is often associated with the platform. While some find it important by the way it tackles these subjects, it has been divisive in some areas. It gets so deep and “raw” that the actress put out a trigger warning for fans about its extreme nature, something that is not seen from her filmography before the pilot premiered in 2019.

The series is created by Sam Levinson, who recently wrote and directed Malcolm & Marie with Zendaya and John David Washington (Tenet). Besides the Spider-Man actress, who won an Emmy for her performance in the HBO drama, it also stars Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth), Maude Apatow (Hollywood), and is currently the only credit for Hunter Schafer.

While production moves forward with Euphoria, Zendaya is going to be pretty busy. Recently, she was in Space Jam: A New Legacy. For the rest of the year, she will be a part of the ensemble cast of Denis Villeneuve’s (Blade Runner 2049) Dune on October 22 that stars Timothee Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name), Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep), Jason Mamoa (Aquaman), David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad), Oscar Isaac (Star Wars), Dave Bautista (Army of the Dead), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame), and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men). She will also continue her role as M.J. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Spider-Man: No Way Home on December 17.