If there’s one thingSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseisn’t lacking, it’sEaster eggs. Whether it be the film’s brief trip to the same universe as theVenommovies or its multiple references to Sony’s popularSpider-Manvideo games,Across the Spider-Verserepeatedly proves that it isn’t afraid to pay homage to the various other superhero films and titles that have come before it. The movie even packs in a brief but noteworthy reference to the events ofSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Most ofAcross the Spider-Verse’s biggest Easter eggs appear during its trip to Nueva York, the home city of Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). The film’s detour there gives it the chance to dive into the minutiae of the multiverse in a way that neither it nor 2018’sSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versehad previously.
It also givesAcross the Spider-Versethe opportunity to feature a live-action cameo from none other than Donald Glover, an actor whose on-screen Spider-Man history may be a bit limited, but whose offscreen impact ontheSpider-Versefranchisecannot be overstated.
Outside of his cameo inAcross the Spider-Verse, Donald Glover has only ever appeared in one otherSpider-Manmovie. The actor famously played the role of Aaron Davis a.k.a. The Prowler in 2017’sSpider-Man: Homecoming. He was, notably, never given the chance to don his character’s iconic Prowler suit in the film, but a largely comedic scene he shared with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker did open the door for him to reference his “nephew,” which well-versedcomic book fansimmediately knew at the time was a nod to Miles Morales.
With all that in mind, Glover appears very briefly inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseas an anomalous version of The Prowler who was captured by Miguel O’Hara and his Spider Society friends. The cameo lets Glover do whatSpider-Man: Homecomingdidn’t and wear a live-action version of The Prowler’s armor. It also lets him interact on-screen with Shameik Moore’s animated iteration of Miles Morales. The scene, in other words, finally lets Glover’s Aaron Davis share a moment with, at the very least, aversionof his nephew that he referenced six years ago inSpider-Man: Homecoming.
Of course, the scene’s importance goes far beyond its connections to Glover’s small role inHomecoming. As Marvel fans will likely remember, Miles Morales made his comic book debut in 2011. That same year, Brian Michael Bendis, who co-created the character with artist Sara Pichelli, revealed that Miles was partly inspired by Glover and, in specific, his brief appearance in Spider-Man pajamas in the season 2 premiere of the NBC sitcom,Community.
Glover’s Spider-Man pajamas in that episode were famously a reference to the failed online campaign that was run in the hopes that the actor would get an audition for the lead role in 2012’sThe Amazing Spider-Man. Glover didn’t, of course, end up getting a chance to play the role in that film, which ultimately went to Andrew Garfield. However, Bendis confirmed in a 2011 interview withUSA Todaythat Glover nonethelessdidget to make an impact on the overall history of the Spider-Man mythos.
In that interview, the comic book writer addressed Glover’sCommunityEaster egg and said, “He looked fantastic! I saw him in the costume and thought, ‘I would like to read that book.’ So I was glad I was writing that book.”
All of this is to say that Glover’s brief cameo inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versecarries a lot more weight than it may initially appear. When Miles interacts with the actor in the film, he’s interacting with someone who played a major role in his creation. Much like the brief appearance of Glover’s famousCommunityepisode inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse(see: the video above), the actor’s cameo inAcross the Spider-Verseis a meta nod on the part of the film’s makers to Miles Morales’ actual, real-life origin story.
