The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Should Bring Aaron Davis Back Into the MCU

In 2017, Marvel Studios delivered one of its best and most memorable name drops, which is saying a lot considering how the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe thrives on Easter eggs. While tracking down the bad guys in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland's Peter Parker questioned one Aaron Davis, played by Donald Glover. Aaron told Peter he had a nephew that lived nearby, teeing up not only Miles Morales in the MCU, but also his potential future as the conflicted villain known as Prowler. Glover is one of the most talented artists working today, and everyone knows he would totally crush it as Uncle Aaron. The only trouble is we haven't heard a single thing about his MCU future since Homecoming was released nearly four years ago. It's time for that to change.

Glover being more prominent in the MCU is obviously good for the franchise. His popularity is off the charts and there are probably folks who would care more about the projects just because he's in them. Not only that, but having Aaron/Prowler around can help the MCU continue telling great, grounded stories about what life is like for real people, as opposed to many of the space epics and multiverse adventures that await us in the future. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier provides an opportunity to lay the groundwork.

The creative team behind The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has been very open about what their series is. It's a character-driven work that doesn't rely on the biggest spectacles the MCU has ever seen, rather exploring real-world issues like racism, media, and patriotism to tell a genuinely intriguing story within the confines of this ever-evolving franchise. These types of stories need to exist within the MCU if the grand spectacles and world-ending sagas want to have any real meaning, and Aaron Davis is the kind of guy who can help link those two worlds together.

Aaron already has the connection to Miles Morales, a character that fans are consistently begging to see on the big screen. It would be very easy to connect him to whatever is going on in the reality-hopping adventures of Spider-Man. On the other side of that coin, he aligns well with what The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seems to be about. We know that Aaron has dealt with the illegal arms trade thanks to his appearance in Homecoming. He's plugged into to parts of the criminal underworld, some of which could easily be a part of whatever conspiracy Sam and Bucky have found themselves caught up in.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finished production quite a while ago, and it's airing its first episode in just a few days. There have been absolutely zero rumblings of Donald Glover having some sort of cameo or appearance on the show. Aaron Davis probably isn't in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and no one is going to think twice about that, especially since he hasn't been seen on-screen in four years.

But a complex character like Aaron Davis deserves to have his story told. Knowing that he's played by Glover is just icing on the cake. With Marvel putting an emphasis on some of the franchise's more "grounded" characters in these Disney+ shows, isn't it about time we see more from Prowler?

In a year when the likes of Sharon Carter and Clint Barton are getting their own starring turns in different Marvel TV projects, the answer should be a resounding "yes."