Major spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lie ahead, so read at your own risk.
Expectations were sky high for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ahead of its debut, and many seem to agree that it did not disappoint. Though some may be disappointed with the cliffhanger ending, both fans and critics have praised the latest Spidey flick. Much of the acclaim has been aimed at its emotional story, gorgeous animation and strong performances. But of course, there are also countless Easter eggs that have delighted hardcore fans. One particularly wild one was connected to the scene-stealing Spider-Punk, who was brilliantly voiced by Daniel Kaluuya. Now, the Oscar winner is addressing his character’s connection to that sweet reference.
To provide some context, after Miles Morales arrives at the Spider-Society’s headquarters in Across the Spider-Verse, he’s alerted to the fact that a number of variants have been popping up in the wrong universes. He eventually learns, while touring the base, that a number of these individuals are being held in house. And in a shocking turn of events, he crosses paths with a live-action version of his uncle, Aaron Davis/The Prowler, who’s played by Donald Glover. Fans may remember that Glover famously played a version of Davis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe-set Spider-Man: Homecoming. (Eagle-eyed fans might also recall that Glover himself was referenced in Into the Spider-Verse.)
It’s further explained that Hobie Brown a.k.a. Spider-Punk was the one to capture that variation of Davis, (and I’d really love to see how that played out). Daniel Kaluuya opened up about the cool development during a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter. And funny enough, before watching the movie, he had no idea that his spider-themed rockstar had accomplished the major feat:
No, I was not aware of that. (Laughs.) That was pretty cool. Afterwards, I was like, ‘Oh shit, I fucking caught Glover’s Prowler.’ They may have mentioned it, but there was so much happening and I was so overwhelmed. So I don’t think I processed it until I watched it, but that’s a pretty cool Easter egg to be involved in.
At this point, it’s possible that fans may want to see more of Donald Glover’s Aaron Davis. It’s hard to say whether or not that’ll actually happen for a few reasons, with the first being that the multihyphenate is a busy man. Of course, his path moving forward may also depend on what Marvel Studios might have planned for Miles Morales moving forward. While this Davis doesn’t seem to be the same one that appeared in Homecoming, the latter could eventually evolve into a version of the Prowler that appears in a future MCU movie. Of course, this is all just speculation, for now.
In the meantime, Donald Glover is working on another Spidey spinoff – a movie based on the comics villain known as the Hypno-Hustler. The highly sought-after actor will reportedly play the titular role and produce the film. Fans can also look forward to next year’s trilogy capper Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (which we know a few things about). So even if a project featuring Glover’s Prowler doesn’t come to pass, franchise devotees should know that they’ll see and hear more from the actor himself and Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk at some points down the road.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters and is one of the prime titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
