Zendaya and Tom Holland are still two of Hollywood’s surest box office draws—and that’s straight from studio execs talking to the trades in 2026. But here’s the twist: this isn’t just a story about these two stars. It’s about how, even as buzzy content-driven hits like “Super Box Office” keep shaking things up, the allure of a superstar front and center keeps packing theaters.
Hollywood’s Star System in 2026: Zendaya, Tom Holland, and Why Stars Still Matter
People keep saying the age of the superstar is over. With streaming, reboots, and viral sensations taking center stage, it’s easy to see why. But when you ask cinema insiders at Variety, they’ll tell you Zendaya and Tom Holland still put people in seats. No kidding—when their names are at the top of the poster, theater owners pay close attention.
Zendaya and Tom Holland didn’t just luck into fame. They started out as young adult franchise leads and turned themselves into global icons, following a trail that feels familiar. Remember Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling after “La La Land”? Or how Dwayne Johnson could turn a modest action flick into a hit? That old star formula is still kicking, but now it’s up against something new: movies and shows that score big without a single headliner. Take “Super Box Office”—it smashed records recently, thanks to its ensemble cast, but no one actor carried it. Still, an exec told The Hollywood Reporter that having the right star at the right moment “can mean the difference between a $40 million and $140 million opening.” That’s not a small gap.
Zendaya and Tom Holland, in particular, keep popping up as the rare exceptions. They have massive social media pull, can jump between genres, and just about everyone around the globe knows them. Studios feel a lot better sending features to theaters when these two are involved—movies that might have gone straight to streaming otherwise. It’s pretty simple: actors who bring a devoted following and worldwide buzz are still worth their weight in gold. And let’s be real, you can’t just create that overnight.
