When Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet threw on their sci-fi capes to breathe new life into the Dune universe, fans could not help but get starry-eyed for new installments. Unlike typical franchises that cling to the supremacy of their original, Dune strutted in and flipped the script, delivering a storyline that aims for the stars—and its box office success proves it. With the buzz building for the third film, the duo brought a Dune: Part Two panel back to life, with Zendaya swooping in to reassure Chalamet. 

Their on-screen magic has earned rave reviews, and this recent show of support from Zendaya proves their reel and real-life bond is just as vibrant.

At a recent screening of Dune: Part Two followed by a Q&A with the stars for Next Best Picture, it was like a scene straight out of the movie when Chani swooped in for Paul Atreides. The host opened the floor to questions, and one drew a parallel between the Messianic cult in the film and today’s celebrity fandoms. Timothée Chalamet jumped in first but encouraged his crew to chime in too, while Zendaya entered with confidence, “I’ll have your back, I gotcha.”

While Chalamet took the conversation down the rabbit hole of past cult leaders, Zendaya tapped into her own celebrity experiences. Leaning into her introverted side, she admitted she often feels like she is not really “cut out” for the spotlight, quickly rephrasing it to “terrified.” For an introvert, being in the limelight does not feel “natural” to her at all. So, she uses fashion as her superhero cape to help her face the world. 

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It makes all the more sense that she backed Chalamet on this because earlier this year, she already shed light on the pressures of fame.

Many stars have opened up about the challenges of childhood fame, and Zendaya is no exception. She has repeatedly emphasized how important it is for her fans to see her as a “person” first, leaving her a bit uncertain if she can really handle it all. Back in April, when Vogue asked her about her childhood goals, she got reflective before admitting it is something she is still figuring out as a former child actor.

Zendaya joked and informed she is living the “antsy teenager phase,” since she never really had the chance to experience that before. As the early breadwinner for her family, she feels like there has been a role reversal in her life only now. Given all the pressures she has faced, it totally makes sense that Zendaya supports her co-star spearheading the conversation, having navigated some of that journey on her own.

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What do you think of Zendaya rallying behind Timothée Chalamet at the Dune: Part Two panel in New York? Let us know in the comments below!