Spider-Man: Homecoming Novel Hints At Donald Glover’s Mystery Character

Seriously, massive spoilers for Spider-Man may lie below! You have been warned!There are still […]

September 5, 2017, 4:22pm

Seriously, massive spoilers for Spider-Man may lie below! You have been warned!

There are still plenty of mysteries circling Spider-Man: Homecoming prior to its release. The film is slated to swing into theaters in July, but fans are still trying to suss out some of its characters’ identities. Recently, reports about Zendaya’s role as Michelle were debunked, but the film’s novelization has given fans a possible hint about who Donald Glover may be playing in the film.

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Over on Reddit, a lengthy description of the Spider-Man: Homecoming novelization has hit, and it has fans buzzing. The write-ups notes match with previously confirmed tidbits from the novel, so netizens are picking apart the summary for possible character clues. So, naturally, Glover’s secretive role became something fans looked into. Here’s what @Alex_Helix had to write about Glover’s part in the Spider-Man: Homecoming novelization:

Spider-Man “finds two of Toomes’ men, Shultz (Bookem Woodbine) and Brice (Logan Marshall-Green), selling Chitauri weapons to local criminal Alex (Donald Glover) and intervenes.”

There is no other mention of Glover’s character Alex in the rest of the novel’s summary, but this one piece does give fans something important: a name. Up until now, fans have only seen some brief footage of Glover in the Spider-Man film’s trailers, but Marvel Studios has been suspiciously defensive of the actor’s casting. Now, fans have learned the actor is playing a local criminal named Alex who hooks up with Vulture’s gang. And, if you are a comic book fan, you may already be making connections with Glover’s character.

When it comes to notable Spider-Man villains bearing the name Alex, fans should immediately think of Rhino. The Marvel villain was created in October 1969 by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. The villain originally operated as Aleksei Sytsevich but others have adopted the name over time. Recently, one such iteration was Alexander O’Hirn, a criminal who stole technology from the government to create his Rhino suit. The baddie ran into Spider-Man as he tried to rob a bank only for Iron Man to stop him.

Given Glover’s rising star power, it seems unlikely that Marvel Studios would want to hire the actor as a one-off character. The actor has close connections with Spider-Man thanks to his time voicing Miles Morales, and it seems strange that Marvel Studios has outright refused to give information on Glover’s role. Reports have suggested that the character Glover is playing is the one Marvel Studios is protecting most, and it may be because the actor is playing a famous Spider-Man villain.

Fans also see the connection between Rhino and the Vulture as too coincidental. The characters have a long history together as they both have taken up missions to end Peter Parker. Both baddies are alumni of the Sinister Six, and they have circled each other for decades. Earlier today, Tom Holland did confirm Marvel Studios and Sony were planning to embark on a Spider-Man trilogy, so who knows? The Sinister Six may have its foundations laid down for a future film when Spider-Man: Homecoming drops.

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Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine — distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighborhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.