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Years ago fans were petitioning for Donald Glover to be cast as Miles Morales in a Spider-Man movie, and though that never came to fruition, the Atlanta star is indeed going to be getting down with the Spidey universe albeit in a way we never saw coming.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Donald Glover is set to star and produce a movie based on one of Spider-Man’s most unrecognized villains from the ’70s, Hypno-Hustler. Unfortunately, the film won’t be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (for now) as it will be a continuation of the Spider-Verse that Sony Pictures has been weaving with films like Venom, Morbius, and the upcoming Kraven The Hunter and Madame Web. Still, it will be interesting to see what Glover does with this particular Spidey villain who’s considered one of the worst comic book villains in Spider-Man’s illustrious gallery.
Created by Bill Mantlo, the writer who also created Rocket Racoon, and artist Frank Springer, Hypno-Hustler was very much a product of the disco music scene when he first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man No. 24 in 1978. His real name was Antoine Delsoin, the leader of a band called the Mercy Killers and used hypnosis technology in his instruments on his audience in order to rob them.
Hypno-Hustler is not considered one of Spider-Man’s top villains — in fact, he regularly shows up on worst supervillains lists — but sources say Glover sparked to the musical aspect of the character and the fact that he has less Marvel canon baggage, freeing him to greater interpretations. The project could be anything from a disco period piece to a re-imagined modern hip-hop version or even a cyberpunk future play. Adding to the spark was Murphy’s take, whose details are being kept below the bass clef.
Given Glover’s history of creativity, we wouldn’t be surprised if Hypno-Hustler turns out to be the best Spidey spinoff film from Sony’s Spider-Verse.
No word on what the film’s title will be or when it’s expected to go into production but Myles Murphy, the son of the legendary Eddie Murphy, has already been tapped to pen the project.
Real talk, we low key can’t wait to see what Glover does with this character. Also, is Sony ever planning on integrating a Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse they’re constructing? Rumors had Andrew Garfield reprising his role as the web-slinging superhero after appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but that talk has since died down.
What do y’all think of Donald Glover breathing life into one of Spider-Man’s more obscure characters? Let us know in the comments section below.
