Donald Glover's MCU Future Revealed By Spider-Verse: Prowler in Phase 4?

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse reveals just how important Donald Glover could be to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sony Pictures' Into the Spider-Verse includes a range of classic Spider-Man foes such as Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin, all very different to versions seen on the big screen before. That's because it draws inspiration from Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe, a modernized relaunch of the comics that kicked off in the year 2000.

But the movie also introduced viewers to a Spider-Man foe who'd never been appeared in the movies before. One of the Kingpin's agents was a hunter who called himself the Prowler, a sinister force who used dangerous gauntlets to try to tear his enemies apart. Whenever the Prowler entered a scene, he had a distinctive score that added a tremendous sense of tension to it all. In the end, the Prowler proved to be the emotional core of the story - and it's a plot very similar indeed to the comics themselves.

And here's the catch: although the average moviegoer has probably missed it, Spider-Man: Homecoming has already introduced the MCU version of the Prowler. He hasn't suited up yet, but he has the potential to transform the MCU - and even introduce Miles Morales/Ultimate Spider-Man into the MCU.

This Page: The Prowler Has Already Entered The MCU
Next Page: How Miles Morales Could Enter The MCU

Donald Glover Is Playing Aaron Davis AKA Prowler In The MCU

Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced Donald Glover as a small-time crook named Aaron Davis. Davis was doing business with the Vulture gang, attempting to acquire advanced technology that would make him a better mugger and a harder catch for the police; the deal was interrupted by Spider-Man, but the wall-crawler was later able to identify Davis and track him down. One of the most entertaining scenes in Spider-Man: Homecoming saw Spider-Man pin Davis to his car using his webbing, and attempt to interrogate him.

Ironically, Davis was more than willing to cooperate; he feared for his nephew's safety, should the Vulture's weapons wind up on the streets. He gave Spider-Man information on an upcoming meeting between Mac Gargan and the Vulture Gang. Aaron Davis is the real name of the Prowler, and the nephew he's referring to is even named Miles in a deleted scene, where Aaron gives his nephew a ring to apologize that he's not going to make it because he's been held up; he's still stuck to the trunk of his car courtesy of Spider-Man's webbing.

Although Davis doesn't have access to any advanced technology in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the potential is clearly there. The film ends with the Tinkerer - a scientist who's worked with advanced technology and alien equipment for several years - still out there. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Davis strikes a deal with the Tinkerer and picks up the MCU version of the traditional Prowler technology.

Prowler's Role In The Comics And Spider-Verse

In the Ultimate Universe, Oscorp is responsible for creating the genetically modified spiders that grant people spider-powers - and one of their samples escaped. The company went bankrupt after Norman Osborn was outed as the Green Goblin, and the Prowler decided to break in to see if he could obtain any equipment to sell on the black market. The Prowler unwittingly picked up that spider, and carried it with him to his home. The next day, he was visited by his nephew Miles Morales - who was bitten by the spider, gaining super-powers and becoming the next Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse modified this plot a little, spending a bit more time establishing the relationship between Aaron and his nephew. It saw Davis take Peter to a deserted cavern off the New York subway tracks, where he could safely exercise his creative skill and graffiti without getting in trouble. Though Miles didn't know it, his uncle had discovered this cavern when exploring the area surrounding the Kingpin's secret lab. A spider had slipped through the cracks between the dimensions - and, of course, it gave Miles a bite before it died. The spider carried the brand of Alchemax, a company from the Spider-Man 2099 comics that excels at genetic manipulation.

When Miles returned, trying to work out how he'd gained these mysterious powers, he stumbled into the battle between Spider-Man and the Kingpin's forces. Miles fled from the scene, with the Prowler on his tail. The would-be Spider-Man discovered his uncle's horrific secret, and fled to the other spiders for help. He was trailed by the Kingpin's team, however, and was left no choice but to reveal his secret identity to the Prowler. Aaron faltered, unable to kill his own nephew, and was shot dead by the Kingpin for his weakness. The Aaron Davis of the comics isn't quite so good-natured. In fact, when he worked out who the Ultimate Spider-Man really was, he saw the opportunity to manipulate Miles in order to become the new Kingpin. He's essentially become Miles' nemesis in the comics, even founding a new version of the Sinister Six.

Page 2 of 2: How Miles Morales Could Enter The MCU

Spider-Man-Miles-Morales-Ultimate-Marvel-Comics

What Is Miles Morales' Role In The MCU's Future?

Marvel made a smart move when they introduced Spider-Man to the MCU; they avoided telling the origin story. Although there's been a throwaway reference to a spider-bite, the circumstances surrounding it are still a mystery. Was the spider irradiated, or genetically modified as in the Ultimate Universe? Was it created by accident, or intentionally? And was it one of a kind, or are there other spiders out there whose bites could grant people super-powers? That, combined with the reference to Miles Morales, means there is the potential to introduce another Miles as a second Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Name-dropping Miles Morales deals with one of the greatest issues in the MCU. The problem with the shared universe model is that it's not particularly easy to reboot an individual franchise; thus when actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans end their MCU contracts, it means characters like Iron Man and Captain America will have to be written out of the universe as well. In exactly the same way, there will come a time when Tom Holland wants to move on as well. With Miles Morales already confirmed as part of the MCU, Marvel has a character who can step in as Spider-Man when Holland leaves. In fact, the more successful Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and its sequels become, the better; Miles becomes embedded in popular culture.

But would Sony and Marvel really double up on the character like this? Sony would probably be willing to; in fact, they're already working on both a live-action and an animated version of the superhero Silk. Marvel would perhaps be a little warier, but the fact that their version of Miles Morales would be in the same shared universe as the other MCU heroes would mean they could use him in different ways. While the Spider-Verse version will be restricted to interacting with other spiders, the MCU version could join the Avengers - or even be part of a younger team, the Champions. He could interact with fellow Legacy Heroes like Kamala Khan, or team up with the Young Avengers. The MCU could easily start in a similar place to Sony, but then head off in a very different direction.

How The MCU Can Use Donald Glover

If the MCU is indeed going to use Miles Morales in the future, then Donald Glover needs to continue playing a minor role in the Spider-Man films. Spider-Man: Homecoming may have offered a hint, but perhaps he could become the wall-crawler's criminal informant? After all, it's already been confirmed that the MCU version of Aaron Davis loves his nephew and is willing to turn snitch in order to keep Miles safe. He could become Spider-Man's regular go-to in the underworld, letting the web-head know what's going on and giving him tips to help him find the latest bad guy.

Meanwhile, when Marvel is finally ready to introduce Miles Morales, they could choose to turn his plot on its head. Perhaps Davis would realize that his connection to Spider-Man gives him an opportunity; after all, he'd know when he'd sent Spider-Man to one side of the city or another, which would mean he could then conduct his own criminal enterprises without fear of the wall-crawler's intervention. As part of this, he could then acquire advanced technology from the Tinkerer, and take up the identity of the Prowler. Marvel is better off holding this particular twist back, though, as it would be too obvious setup. It's better they only do this when they're almost ready to introduce Miles Morales in the first place.

Donald Glover may have played a minor role in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a reminder that he could well be crucial to the future of the MCU's Spider-Man. His existence, and the reference to Miles Morales, means that the Spider-Man franchise could run on in the MCU for years to come - perhaps even decades, long after Tom Holland has decided to move on from Marvel.