Donald Glovers Across the Spider-Verse Cameo, Explained

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Photo: Sony Pictures Animation

Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

As promised, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse spans a beautiful animated multiverse full of Spider-People and fun Easter eggs. One of the cheekiest is a cameo from No. 1 Spider-Man fan himself, Donald Glover, as Prowler, aka Miles Morales uncle Aaron although not the animated version we saw in the last film. While escorting Miguel OHaras Spider-Society to New York, Miles sees an imprisoned, live-action Prowler in a unique Who Framed Roger Rabbit moment. That’s a rude stare, Glover says to a stunned Miles as Hobie, aka Spider-Punk, and Gwen Stacy argue over who got the multiverse anomaly. It’s a clever nod to Glovers often-documented Spider-Man fandom, which landed him the role of Aaron in 2017s Tom Hollandstarring Spider-Man: Homecoming.

At the time of Homecomings release, director Jon Watts told the LA Times, One of the first things I said to Kevin [Feige] when I got the job was, We’ve got to put Donald Glover in this movie. I don’t know who he is, or what he’s going to do, but we have to find a way. At the time, it had been seven years since fans launched a viral internet campaign (#Donald4Spiderman) to cast Glover as the star web-slinger in director Marc Webbs The Amazing Spider-Man. Even Stan Lee expressed his support. Of course, Andrew Garfield ended up landing the coveted role as Peter-3, with Glovers thumbs-up: He told Vulture at the time that Garfield’s Peter Parker was kinda dope. And Glover ended up voicing a version of Spider-Man, Miles Morales, in Disney XDs Ultimate Spider-Man in 2014, three years after the character was introduced to Marvel Comics by writer Brian Michael Bendis. (In an even twistier full-circle moment, Bendis has credited the Community moment when Glovers character Troy wears Spider-Man pajamas as an inspiration for making Miles.) While doing press for the show, Glover told USA Today that he hoped He’s still going to play Spider-Man in a live-action movie, and I’m not looking at it as a second place. Spider-Man, he’s an icon.

All of that history is packed into one flashy moment in Across the Spider-Verse, where Glover unspecifiedly resumes his role as Uncle Aaron of Hollands Spidey universe. Hobie and Gwen don’t have time to explain where he came from. Plus, Glovers Aaron is decked out in a purple Prowler suit, a far cry from his appearance in Hollands MCU movie. He’s probably still working with Michael Keatons Adrian Toomes/Vulture, last seen in Morbius (remember him? I don’t know), gathering alien tech that could lead him to become the Prowler later in that universe. Sony producer Amy Pascal recently confirmed that a live-action Miles Morales movie is in the works, so perhaps the Glovers Prowler will see the light of day outside of Spider-Society soon.

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