Trailer for Zendaya's Challengers has fans clamouring for gay sub-plot

The second trailer for Luca Guadagnino's steamy sports drama Challengers has dropped, and gay fans are hoping for some extra off-court ball action.

Starring Zendaya , God's Own Country star Josh O’Connor , and Mike Faist, who appeared in the stage adaptation of Brokeback Mountain , the steamy " tennis threesome " film follows Tashi, whose own career was ended by injury, as she coaches husband Art out of his losing streak.

Things take a turn for the dramatic (and sexually charged) when Art (Faist) is drawn to play former best friend Patrick (O'Connor), who also happens to be Tashi's (Spider-Man star Zendaya) ex-boyfriend.

The new trailer hinted at all the drama one would expect from that concept, including monologues and fast-paced tennis scenes from all three actors.

However, queer fans have also been quick to pick up on some fairly homoerotic subtext trailer – not least the prolonged eye contact between Art and Patrick while the latter munches on a banana, and the naked-as-possible-without-actually-showing-anything sauna scenes – all set to a rendition of Nelly Furtado's "Maneater".

There's also a moment where Tashi sits between Art and Patrick on a bed, and proceeds to kiss both of them. The boys do not share a kiss, but a shot of Zendaya shows her smiling at something off-screen.

That's where X has erupted into what are essentially pleas for Challengers to contain a queer sub-plot.

"If I leave that theatre and the boys didn’t kiss…" one X user wrote , while another went for a blunter: "We want the boys to ***** too."

Another pointed out that given Guadagnino's track record, which includes queer mainstay Call Me By Your Name and the cannibal-centric Bones and All , "one of them f**king a racquet ball is not entirely impossible."

A third fan pointed out that: "There's no sexual tension in films like Luca-Guadagnino-directed sexual tension," while another social media user issued a warning, writing: "If they don't have something going, I'm suing for emotional damages."

Challengers is due to arrive in US cinemas on 26 April.