Across The Spider-Verse's MCU Villain Debut May Change Spider-Man Movies Forever

Contains spoilers for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"

Seeing how "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" originally had a "Part One" as part of its title, it obviously ends in a place setting up the sequel — "Beyond the Spider-Verse." However, the film has wide-ranging implications for the future of other Spider-Man projects, including in the live-action realm.

The movie contains numerous references to Spider-Man projects of the past. Viewers even get to see clips from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's versions of the character. There's even a moment where The Spot travels to the Venom universe, speaking to Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu) for a little bit. However, arguably one of the best surprises from the film is when Miles gets a tour of Spider-Man 2099's compound and gets taken to an area housing classic Spider-Man villains who ended up in the wrong universe. There are many great gags in this sequence, including a moose version of Mysterio, but fans will likely be most taken with a surprise cameo from Donald Glover as a live-action version of Prowler, complete with costume. 

While this version of Prowler could have come from anywhere in the multiverse, it's important to note that Glover did, in fact, play Aaron Davis in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." A lot of time has passed between that movie and now, so it's possible he went from a low-level criminal to a full-on supervillain, suggesting a viable path for the live-action Tom Holland Spider-Man movies to take.

"Spider-Man" producer Amy Pascal recently hinted that a live-action Miles Morales project is in the works. Without further details, it's impossible to say whether this would be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or something separate within Sony's wheelhouse, but Donald Glover's cameo in "Across the Spider-Verse" could hint at a storyline the MCU could adapt. 

Pascal also revealed that "Spider-Man 4" with Tom Holland is in the pipeline, so it's possible Miles and Aaron could have a story together in that film. While Holland's Peter Parker would likely have a larger adversary to deal with, Glover's Uncle Aaron could factor into the story somehow, bringing Peter and Miles into contact with one another. If Marvel wanted to keep the focus on Peter Parker, it's possible Miles and Aaron would only play smaller roles, with Miles getting bit by the spider and facing the death of his uncle in his own standalone film. Or we could see Miles undergo the beginnings of his character arc in "Spider-Man 4" before spinning off into another movie, similarly to how Tom Holland initially came onto the scene in "Captain America: Civil War" before appearing in his first solo movie. 

Then again, Glover's appearance in "Across the Spider-Verse" may just function as a bit of fan service and nothing more. More details on "Spider-Man 4" and beyond probably won't materialize until after the writers' strike is over, so for now, fans should just appreciate seeing Glover continue being connected to Spider-Man in increasingly fun ways. 

Donald Glover has an intriguing history with Spider-Man, and even partly inspired the creation of Miles Morales. So him popping up in "Across the Spider-Verse" is a great cameo for more reasons than one. 

When the "Spider-Man" film franchise was being rebooted with "The Amazing Spider-Man," Glover campaigned to snag the role of Peter Parker, even showing up with Spider-Man pajamas in an episode of "Community." The role ultimately went to Andrew Garfield, but Glover did something arguably even more important. Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli were working on the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic when Glover inspired them to create a Black Spider-Man. Bendis even told USA Today, "I saw him in the costume and thought, 'I would like to read that book.' So I was glad I was writing that book."

Glover even voiced Miles for two episodes of 2015's "Ultimate Spider-Man" cartoon. As such, it was appropriate casting to bring him into the MCU as Miles' uncle, Aaron. The creative team behind "Spider-Man: Far From Home" even considered bringing Glover back for a brief role, but it just didn't pan out. Fortunately, Glover's cameo in "Across the Spider-Verse" suggests the character could still be out there, and if there's anyone who should help usher Miles Morales into a live-action setting, it should definitely be Glover.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is playing in theaters now.