The year was 2010. Casting was still underway to find the new actor to play Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, and a fan campaign began to cast Community star Donald Glover as the Web-Slinger. While the campaign did gain traction over social media, in the end, the actor wasn't awarded an audition, and Andrew Garfield was cast in the role. However, six years later now Glover may finally get the opportunity to appear in a Spider-Man movie.
It was reported today that Donald Glover is in talks to join Spider-Man: Homecoming, but details about his character are being kept secret. While the prospect of finally seeing Glover appear is exciting to many fans, but as per usual with mystery castings, we're left wondering what role the production has in mind for him. Should the casting go through, Marvel will likely announce who Glover playing in the near future, but for now, here are our top five guesses as to who he might play in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Robbie Robertson
Working at The Daily Bugle would be intolerable for Peter Parker if he only interacted with J. Jonah Jameson on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are a number of employees there who are much more personal. One of those people is Joe "Robbie" Robertson, one of the newspaper's top editors. Robbie has frequently served as both a friend and father figure to Peter Parker over the decades, and he's also able to talk reason into Jameson when the blustery publisher starts getting too angry about Spider-Man. Robbie was played by Bill Nunn in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies, but he didn't have any importance other than talking to Jameson. Spider-Man: Homecoming is the chance for Robbie to play a meaningful role on the big screen, and while Glover's version wouldn't necessarily have to be the Bugle's second-in-command given his younger age, it would definitely be wise for him to be a mentor to Peter while he's working at the paper.
Miles Morales
Let's get one thing straight about this entry: if Donald Glover is playing Miles Morales, it would need to be a heavily adapted version of him. In the comics, Miles is still a teenager wile serving as Spider-Man, but because Peter Parker already has the Web-Slinger role covered in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we won't see Miles wearing the mask, for at least for a decade, if not longer or even at all. Miles is rumored to be the star of the upcoming animated Spider-Man movie, but bringing in Glover as Miles would be an interesting way to make sure the character has a presence in the live action continuity while Tom Holland's Peter Parker spins those webs. Glover already has experience voicing Miles in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series (seen above), so he just needs to bring a similar kind of energy for playing him in front of the camera. As for how he would be involved in Peter's life, maybe he could be an employee at his school or a neighbor in his apartment building.
The Tinkerer
It's been rumored for a while that Vulture will be Spider-Man: Homecoming's main antagonist, and if that's confirmed, then many believe that Michael Keaton will inhabit that role. However, it was also reported three weeks ago that we might also see The Tinkerer, who will aid Vulture by building his suit from Chitauri technology left over from the Battle of New York. Although he was one of the first super villains Spider-Man battled in the comics, Tinkerer isn't one of Spidey's well known adversaries, so keeping him on the sidelines is a wise decision. Still, Donald Glover playing a younger, but still scientifically gifted, Tinkerer would be a unique way to adapt the character for the modern age. Just imagine the weird and funny dynamic he would have with Keaton's Vulture. As long as Glover doesn't channel the same nerd vibe that Jamie Foxx did as Max Dillion, a.k.a. Electro, in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, we should be fine.
Prowler
Not every villain that Spider-Man has faced stayed an evildoer. One of the bad guys who found redemption was Hobie Brown, a.k.a. Prowler. Hobie started out as a thief armed with technology he created using his engineering skills, but after an encounter, he reformed and became one of Spidey's closest crimefighting allies. If Vulture and Tinkerer end up being Spider-Man: Homecoming's main villains, it's hard to say how Hobie would be included in the movie, but it definitely wouldn't be as another antagonist. My best guess right now is that Spider-Man would stop Donald Glover's version of Prowler early in the movie, but rather than swear vengeance on the hero, Hobie would instead realize the error of his ways and try to atone for his actions, subsequently building an informal alliance with Spidey. Later in the story, maybe he gets brought back in to help Spidey against his adversaries, perhaps by using his own devices to counteract some of the Tinkerer's tech.
One Of Peter's Teachers
If you've been paying attention to the Spider-Man: Homecoming casting news, you know that many of the actors announced so far are playing characters who interact with Peter Parker at his high school, like Kenneth Choi as his principal. With a few exceptions, it seems like most of these high school-based characters will be original creations, so it wouldn't be out of left field if Donald Glover is playing one of Peter's teachers. Glover's schedule is busy right now with his upcoming FX series Atlanta, so he may not have time to have an intricate role in the movie. As a teacher, he gets to have a few scenes sprinkled throughout the movie, but they wouldn't take long to shoot. Plus, having him play a teacher or another kind of new character may leave more room for him to play around with his brand of comedy while instructing Peter and his classmates.
