Tom Holland and Zendaya have entered their married era with the kind of effortless charm that makes the rest of us feel personally underdressed. The beloved couple has gone from Spider-Man co-stars to real-life spouses, with Holland becoming one of the rare Spider-Men to marry his on-screen lover. Their journey from friendship to romance to a quietly confirmed marriage has made their so-called married era irresistibly charming, with people around them, such as Robert Pattinson, even praising their relationship.

With a real-life love story this delightfully cinematic, fans naturally want the director’s cut: who fell first, when did the crush begin, and how did co-stars become co-stars in own their lives as well?

Tom Holland and Zendaya began their Spider-Man: Homecoming journey with an awkward handshake-hug mix-up, but their friendship quickly found a much smoother rhythm. After meeting during their 2016 chemistry read, the two stars became inseparable enough for Holland to post a poolside photo of them together that July, giving fans an early glimpse of their suspiciously adorable friendship. The fact that Holland blurted out Zendaya's name when asked about his celebrity crush did not help in squashing the romance rumors.

Then came the denials, delivered with the sort of comedic timing that made their 'just friends' era even more entertaining. When People reported that Holland and Zendaya were secretly dating in 2017, Zendaya mocked the rumor on Twitter, while Holland joked that their supposed vacations might simply count as the press tour. By December, he was dining with Zendaya and her parents in New York, where her family reportedly loved him, because nothing says 'strictly platonic' quite like meeting the parents over the holidays. 

For a brief stretch, Tom Holland and Zendaya seemed destined to remain Hollywood’s most convincing 'just friends' while life sent them in separate romantic directions. After Spider-Man: Far From Home delivered Peter Parker and MJ’s long-awaited first kiss in 2019, Zendaya was linked to her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi, while Holland went Instagram-official with British actress Nadia Parkes and even quarantined with her during the early pandemic.

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The two Spider-Man stars were still on separate paths, but their own love story was apparently only taking a very dramatic intermission.

Tom Holland and Zendaya spent years insisting that their relationship was nobody’s business, only to be photographed kissing inside an Audi at a Los Angeles red light. The internet, naturally, considered this a perfectly reasonable invitation to investigate every friendship, family dinner, and suspiciously affectionate photograph since 2016. Their 'just friends' era had finally met its most photogenic enemy: evidence.

Zendaya’s 25th birthday brought the official Instagram confirmation, with Holland posting a mirror-reflection photograph and calling her 'My MJ.' However, the celebration did come with a price, as Holland was deeply upset that private photographs of the couple had been published without their consent. The pair responded by guarding their relationship more carefully, although their affection continued to leak through the cracks. One instance, for example, during the emotionally exhausting production of Euphoria Season 2, Holland reportedly visited Zendaya’s set at least 30 times, which is a rather elaborate commitment to the 'just popping by' school of friendship.

Then came the accessories, because apparently Hollywood romance now requires forensic examination of jewellery and trouser pockets. Zendaya wore a gold signet ring engraved with “TH,” while Holland appeared in London with a custom “Z” stitched onto his trousers. Holland later explained that making a movie together definitely helped when it came to romance, while admitting that he had no “rizz” and preferred the long game.

The long game worked. An engagement followed, and then came a marriage so private that the world learned about it through Law Roach, who appeared to reveal the news with the casual chaos of someone dropping a match into a fireworks factory. The rumors were only to be confirmed when Holland eventually called Zendaya his wife, completing the journey from co-stars to spouses and sending fans on a quest to find out more about the couple. In the end, their romance had all the makings of a Spider-Man love story, except this time, Tom Holland and Zendaya made sure Peter Parker and MJ did not have to say goodbye.

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What do you think of Zendaya and Tom Holland's love story? Let us know in the comments!