Donald Glover will be entering the Spider-Verse in the role of the Hypno-Hustler. But the MCU could still have use for the high-profile actor.
The world of Spider-Man is about to explode in a way that even Spider-Man: No Way Home couldn’t have anticipated. With the debut trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, audiences will be treated to a literal multiverse of Spider-Man variants that are original and tied to the larger comic, TV and film universes. But aside from web-slingers, Sony Pictures will also be integrating many unexpected villains into the roster with a collection of films starring them. Some examples include Venom, Morbius and the upcoming El Muerto.
A new addition to the villain roster will be none other than the little-known character of the Hypno-Hustler. Created in the ’70s, the villain used disco to hypnotize and rob his guests. Now, a new film is in the works, with Donald Glover starring in and producing the project. That said, this isn’t the actor’s first foray into the world of the Web-Slinger and may have just proven that his skills can exist beyond Sony’s Spider-Verse. In fact, the Marvel Cinematic Universe could still have the perfect role for him in its reality.
Donald Glover’s History With the Spider-Verse
Glover has had a long history with Spider-Man during his professional career. When he was starring in Community, he was one of the names being thrown around to play the hero. Glover even campaigned for the role. Nevertheless, his tenacity still yielded great results as he was able to voice Miles Morales in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. That was, for a time, his biggest role tied to the Marvel character, but everything changed when he entered the MCU.
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Glover was cast as a younger Aaron Davis. The film portrayed him as a mid-level criminal interested in buying one of Vulture’s weapons. However, even though he was a criminal, he had a code that had him put the needs of his family first and respect those willing to risk their lives for others. Like the comics, one of his family members was his nephew Miles Morales, and the two shared a close bond. While that relationship wasn’t shown in the film, the seeds got planted for the future Wall-Crawler and Davis’ villainous return as The Prowler.
Why Donald Glover Is the Perfect Prowler for the MCU
Glover’s portrayal of Aaron Davis showed a man that was reserved in his words and actions but was a lot more clever than he let on. While his evolution into The Prowler wasn’t complete, the time that passed since Homecoming would offer a chance for him to fully embrace his title and role as a skilled burglar. However, what makes Glover the perfect Prowler is tied directly to his adoration for the character.
Because Glover has always wanted to be in the Spider-Man universe, his chance to be a villain instead of a hero would allow him more flexibility in his portrayal. As a result, audiences could get one of the scariest and most entertaining iterations of the character to watch on screen. Furthermore, in a world where Miles and Peter are there, the odds of him fighting two Spider-Men are incredibly high. There’s also the fact that the MCU is so integrated that the character could face off against other street-level heroes before his eventual anti-heroic turn down the line. Ultimately, Glover, who has firmly planted himself in the spider-Verse, could reach a new peak as a classic villain in the MCU.
