Summary
- Donald Glover's cameo as Aaron Davis/The Prowler in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse could impact the MCU and potentially set up a storyline for Spider-Man 4.
- Glover's role is significant as he was a major inspiration for the creation of Miles Morales in Marvel Comics, and his cameo acknowledges this connection.
- The decision to have Glover's character imprisoned in Spider Society could lead to him discovering that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, potentially setting up an intriguing twist for the future of MCU Spider-Man.
Donald Glover made a cameo as Aaron Davis/The Prowler in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a fun Easter egg that could impact the MCU and a potential Spider-Man 4 story. Glover first appeared in the MCU as Aaron Davis in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. The small role was used as a means of planting seeds for a potential Miles Morales story in the MCU, with Glover's Davis mentioning he has a nephew who lives in the area while buying weapons from Vulture's crew.
Glover's cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming was a big deal, especially considering the actor was such a huge inspiration for the character of Miles Morales' creation in Marvel Comics. This extended to the cameo appearance of Glover in the Miles-centric film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. While the cameo was a neat way of acknowledging Glover's importance to the creation of Miles, the decision to have him imprisoned in Spider Society as a live-action version of The Prowler could be important for Spider-Man 4 and lead to a big twist for MCU Spidey's future.
Glover's Prowler Cameo Could Set Him Up To Peter Parker Is A Hero In Spider-Man 4
The twist in question links to the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. As a means of stopping the multiversal incursions threatening the MCU's Earth, Tom Holland's Spider-Man urged Doctor Strange to cast a spell that made every single person in the universe forget that this version of Peter Parker exists, therefore meaning they do not know who Spider-Man is. With Glover's Spider-Verse cameo confirmed as the MCU version of Aaron Davis, his imprisonment in Spider Society could lead to him realizing Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
While the MCU's Prowler would have been affected by the spell and forgotten Peter Parker exists, he undoubtedly became aware of multiversal elements of Peter Parker being Spider-Man during his imprisonment. Characters like Peter B. Parker and Miles were walking around Spider Society without their masks on, meaning Glover's Davis likely knows that Peter Parker is a common variant of Spider-Man. Should he return to the MCU, he could search out Peter Parker now knowing his identity as the Spider-Man he has previously interacted with.
Why MCU's Prowler Knowing Peter Parker Is Spider-Man Would Be Good For Spider-Man 4
While the MCU's Prowler knowing Peter's identity could seem like a retcon of Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending, it actually would benefit Spider-Man 4's story. Given that every single character involved in any future MCU Spider-Man story would be unaware of Peter, it would be a refreshing change of pace to have Davis know who he is. Also, Davis' introduction in Spider-Man: Homecoming made him a sympathetic character rather than an evil villain buying weapons for criminal means. Having a potential anti-hero version of Prowler who knows Peter's identity could make for a compelling character dynamic.
This could then also lead to the set-up of live-action Miles Morales in the MCU. If Prowler is aware of Peter and potentially teams up with him, the latter could be introduced to Miles through Davis' familial connection to him. Excitingly, this could lead to a team-up in the MCU's future between Peter Parker's Spider-Man and Miles Morales, all stemming from Donald Glover's shocking cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
