Zendaya Returned to Disney Channel Because of the Lack of Diversity

Earlier this fall, Zendaya wrapped up production on her long running Disney Channel series, K.C. Undercover, and speaking with the NYTimes, we now know why she returned to the network.

“The only reason I wanted to come back to the Disney Channel is because there was a lack of diversity at that time,” the actress reveals in a new interview. “There weren’t any leads or families of color, and I felt like that was something that needed to happen.”

Now, with Andi Mack, Raven’s Home, and Stuck in the Middle, the diversity is there.

However, that’s not the only reason she was back in action at the channel.

“I thought the idea of a girl doing a ‘guy role’ was really important,” Zendaya adds. “Young women are able to look at the screen and see that they can be anything, that they can do it all. A little boy can look up to a girl and say, ‘I want to be like this girl.’ And that’s awesome.”

The final season of K.C. Undercover is expected to debut in 2018.