If He’s Not Spider-Man, What Superhero Is Donald Glover?

Sunday, June 13th, 2010 at 10:00am
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If He’s Not Spider-Man, What Superhero <i>Is</i> Donald Glover?  

There’s one thing that all of the names on the short-list to play the new Spider-Man have in common: They’re not Donald Glover. But even if the Community star and former 30Rock writer isn’t the next Peter Parker, that doesn’t mean that he can’t put on tights and fight crime elsewhere. What other superhero do you think Glover should play?

No poll this week, because it’s all about your suggestions for a change; I don’t want to limit you to my handful of choices. That said, I’d definitely be interested in seeing Glover as a cinematic Wally West, if the Flash franchise went in the direction of focusing on the sidekick-made-good potential of the character, or as Firestorm, if the movies ever get around to introducing him (Anyone who’s seen Community knows that he can do comedic jock well enough to make Ronnie Raymond seem likable, for once). But what Marvel characters do you think he could take on? Or Dark Horse, Image or anyone else who’s due a movie? Leave your suggestion in the comments.

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  • Philippe

    Could they?? I don't recall many actors, GOOD actors, that are so heavy as Volstagg. Maybe Hugo from Lost, but that's it.

  • Philippe

    No you dimwit, it didn't drove me crazy at all because God never had a specific physique. God can be anything, even a woman (like Alanis Morissette on “Dogma). The Bible never stated how God should look like. And yes, I do think it's idiotic that Jesus is portrayed as a white guy, considering he was born in the Middle East. Jim Caviezel played Jesus on Mel Gibson's “Passion Of The Christ” and he looked a lot more ethnic.

    Norse Gods were worshipped by the Scandinavian people, who are all white. I find it as stupid as if a movie about African gods had a white guy playing one of them.

  • Philippe

    My thoughts exactly. White people, caucasians for that matter, cannot be proud of being white, because people assume they are Nazi or white supremacists. So, if you are white, you cannot be offended that they turn Spider-Man into a black or a latin guy. But why stop there? Let's turn Peter Parker into a Polynesian, or an Eskimo, or a Native-American…why stop in black? Let's go crazy.

    Frankly, I find the whole idea of being proud because of race kinda stupid and old-fashioned. I understand where it comes from, and why there was a need for this notion back in the day, but in 2010 I think it's a dated idea.

    You should be proud of who you are and what you do, not simply of your race or sexuality. A guy can be black and be a pedophile…a guy can be gay and be an asshole…I'm not racist at all, because I think the idea of racism is just absurd. People can be complete douches, not matter their race, religion or sexuality.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/YJU6CYIVLUW5DMIRVH5PPQP4VE Hypestyle the Hype Man

    Re: Marvel heroes- Spider-Man Connection:
    Cloak (Tyrone Johnson); Prowler (Hobie Brown); Rocket Racer (Robert Baldwin)
    Supporting- Randy Robertson
    Other Marvel Heroes- Patriot (young avengers), Prodigy (new x-men), Sunspot (new mutants), the new Power Man (Shadowland).

  • http://irresponsible-blogging.blogspot.com/ Jason von Evil

    I concede the Gandhi part, I keep forgetting Kingsley isn't Indian. He's very convincing. As for Jesus, blame Europe for that gem, they're the ones who always depicted the dude as white. And honestly, could care less, they should have William Hung play him.

    And I'm racist, huh? Funny, seeing as how I have no problem with Fury, Kingpin or Alicia Masters being played by black actors (and special props to Kerry Washington who played the latter admirably). This is why I hate this whole thing, if you argue against a black or other ethnicity playing a character that's been white since they were created over 40 years ago, you're automatically a racist.

    Has anyone considered that, I don't know, it might be confusing to non-comic book fans and the foreign market? Even Stan Lee has pointed this out. I made a blog post about this recently and I'll just my words there explain:

    http://irresponsible-blogging.blogspot.com/2010…

  • Carver mangolia

    Actually the actor who played Ghandi, Ben Kingsley, is half Indian half English. His father Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji was a medical doctor from India.

  • Sonofwat

    Stan Lee made Batman black in his Just Imagine series.

  • Brodie

    Is 1959 crucial to the movie version of the Flash? There's no way they wouldn't make it take place in modern day. Next excuse?

  • Brodie

    So you're protecting Warner's Corporate investment? Let them worry about that. We're talking about what actor would be good as what character, regardless of the liklihood of a giant corporation going along with us. Next excuse.

  • SLAMRON

    I was thinking Invincible as well. +1

  • SLAMRON

    It's ironic then that they made Kingpin black in that same movie.

  • http://irresponsible-blogging.blogspot.com/ Jason von Evil

    He could play a Captain America. In the second Captain America movie have a scene where Cap finds out that after his disappearance at the end of WWII, the government created several replacements, each representing a different decade, with Glover's character being the Captain America of the 60s. To make it interesting, have it where he was initially an unofficial Cap who created his own costume to march in the freedom marches and to help defend against the Klan and others. He comes to the attention of the Kennedy or Johnson Administrations who offers to make him the new Captain America. To explain away his combat prowess, have him either be trained by the government or make him a veteran who did a tour in 'Nam. Then have Cap read on to discover that Glover's character served until '68 where upon the dual assassinations of MLK and Bobby Kennedy causes him to become disillusioned and lose hope. He resigns (by mailing his costume to the White House) and disappears.

    Alternatively, he could also play Patriot in a Young Avengers movie if Marvel hurries up.

  • Scavenger

    Just as a point, the Timm Wally West was pretty similar to how he was in his JLE days.

  • GregoB

    Spider man 2099?

  • Sundancer

    I think that Donald Glover as any DC character wouldn't be as horrible as any of the actors playing DC characters in Smallville. Except the guy who played Lex Luthor, that guy is cool.

  • Jonquixote

    The guy who suggested Ant-Man, provided they went with an O'Grady or Scott Lang type take on the character, was really onto something.

    The original suggestion of Wally West is damned fine. Glover would slide right into that role nicely. He'd be a really good Wally West – enthusiastic, goofy, fun, a bit naive…

    I don't see him as Spider-Man, even race aside. It's a neat idea, but it would take some convincing even if he looked just like the comic book Peter Parker. I'm not adverse to a black Spider-Man, though I think Peter himself is an iconic enough image that he's probably better served as a Caucasian – the race issue, unfortunately, would overwhelm the role.

    As for the conversation that talks about swapping out black superheroes with white actors, even where the superhero's race isn't part of his identity like it is with Cage or Falcon or T'Challa, you do run into the issue of further whitewashing a genre that is already pretty thoroughly whitewashed. One could take a fairly race-neutral hero, like Cyborg or Blade, and make them Caucasian, but that would be mean-spirited, for lack of a better word. Conversely, there can be a Nicholas L. Fury and white superheroes will remain very well represented.

  • Brodie

    Also because there are hundreds of white characters to every black character. And because all the icons were created so long ago, there are really zero black superhero icons. Saying no black actors can ever play white characters essentially means there will never be a major superhero movie starring a black actor.

  • Brodie

    Yeah, we really need to keep score on that. At this rate we're in danger of black characters moving up from 1% to 2% of the pop culture makeup, you ridiculous hillbillies.

  • Brodie

    I love how people keeping saying, “I'd be OK with him cast as [insert name of character that will probably never, ever be made into a movie].” Guy Gardner? Blue Beetle? It's not happening.

    Wally West is young, wisecracking, and brash. Barry Allen is straight-laced, buzz-cutted, and by-the-book. That's why Glover would be great as West, not-so-good as Allen.

  • Brodie

    I'm glad you're fine with characters almost no one cares about being played by black actors.

    Why would this be confusing to non-fans? People who know nothing about the character and have no emotional investment are going to be thrown off by a black guy in the Flash costume? Not only won't they care, they won't even know a change was made. Congratulations on making the least-convincing argument yet.

  • Brodie

    Oh, you mean that 3D Man movie they plan on making right after Hell freezes over?

    None of these movies will EVER be made.

  • Brodie

    Did you see any of the X-Men movies with the really tall guy playing Wolverine? That's a fundamental aspect of the character, a big part of the reason for his name (small and scrappy) and they totally ignored that physical aspect when casting the role.

    And good thing they did, because Jackman was the perfect choice.

    Was that OK with you, continuity policeman?

  • Brodie

    Oh Jesus, Randy Robertson? That's barely better than saying, “I'd like to see him as Man Ordering a Hot Dog.”

    Way to out-do the Triathalon Man suggestions with your suggestion of a character unlikely to ever be featured prominently on film. That had to take effort.

  • VaginaTickler

    Brodie, people like Michaelangelo (meaning the highly-vocal minority of whites known as tea-baggers) want to keep score on EVERYTHING like that. He's the kind of bigot who holds up signs at rallies that read, “MONKEY SEE, MONKEY SPEND,” and then feign shock when people read a racial motivation in it.

  • VaginaTickler

    The above is a perfect example of the current way of think among teabaggers. “Whites are under seige. They are planning to send us to extermination camps. Whites are the most persecuted people in the history of the world!”

    To quote Jon Stewart, after the election of Obama led white folks from Idaho to Alabama to start screaming about fascism and tyranny and worse-than-the-Holocaust panting wetting: “Don't equate LOSING with tyranny.”

  • http://irresponsible-blogging.blogspot.com/ Jason von Evil

    What I meant was if you take a character like Spider-Man, the source for three blockbuster and popular movies and suddenly have him played by a black actor, it would be confusing to anyone who saw any of the previous films.

    To put it another way, what would the reaction be if Batman or Superman were played by a non-white actor, even if the guy is an awesome actor?

    And whats wrong with minor characters? Blade was a C-list character and yet the success of the first two Blade movies helped pave the way for Spider-Man, X-Men, etc.

    Blame the writers and artists who were active in the 60s who didn't bother to create too many ethnic characters.

  • http://irresponsible-blogging.blogspot.com/ Jason von Evil

    And you apparently ignored the part where I conceded that I was wrong about the Gandhi comment, although the fact that Kingsley is half-Indian does lessen it.

  • Cheron85

    So are you saying that every character in DC history has always had exactly the same personality traits? that they don't change slightly from writer to writer? really? Cos from what I can tell pretty much all the characters in the DC universe have had character tweaks over the years…

    And yes… you can change any character you like… they're ACTORS… they're PRETENDING to play a FICTIONAL character… you do understand that right? As long as it can act why not cast a walrus as the flash? Walrus West…

    And just to answer your final racist question… no i wouldn't change black panther, luke cage or storm's race… but that's because they have been developed as racial stereotypes in the comics… I would have no problem with them changing cyborg though…

  • Fesquire

    I honestly don't see the big deal having a black (or any other race) playing a canonically white character, because the race doesn't determine the character's personality. I don't think anyone else here really has a problem with the race either, the problem is that after YEARS and YEARS of stories and concepts and history of Peter Parker (Or wally west, clark, bruce, reed richards and company) being white, it wouldn't make any sense to just throw such a curveball for the sake of doing it. I'm pretty sure if they decided a white woman should play Storm in a new X-men movie, people would be equally adverse to idea because Storm's been black for YEARS. its not the race, its the history.

  • Dratomicdoom

    I don't know where all this Wally West crap came into play. Wally West is a cracker…actually all the Flashes are crackers. haha Why would anyone want to see that? How about Glover playing the New Aqua-lad? Cuz…you know, he's UH…black and I think that would rock.

    Overall black characters bring something so cool to the table and it's that heritage and dialogue that makes me a friggin' fan of superheroes like Luke Cage and Cyborg. Why change what works?!

  • sebastien

    Is it just a color thing that people complain about ? People are always saying that you need to stick to the source material and blah, blah, blah but no one complain when a swedish, a south african and an irish played Italian-American Frank Castle in the three Punisher movies.

    Everybody loved Hugh Jackman (an Australian) playing All-Canadian Wolverine. Same with Eric Bana (also Australian) playing Bruce Banner or the British Christian Bale playing Bruce Wayne. Everybody thought that an irish Bullseye was the best thing about the DD movie (while some complain about a black Kingpin). and yes I understand that a white European can fake a New York accent and they just look like american and so on and so on…

    Still if it isn't racism to not want a black guy playing Spider-Man but feel good about a european playing an American I don't know what it is.

  • Hernani Grt

    What Superhero Is Donald Glover? So far, NONE.
    Stop trying to cast this guy, this is NOT how it works.

  • TwinPistols

    A few quick points:

    1) Everyone, stop calling people racist. Some people prefer to see actors that resemble the races of the characters take up the roles, and some don't care about that, but neither stance is “racist” or “color-blind”.

    You could be cool with a black Flash and say racist things regarding whites, asians, or other races. You could also be against Hollywood changing Wally West's race but be involved in an interracial relationship or marriage. What you would prefer to see on screen, regarding how characters are cast and portrayed, says little about you as a person. It certainly doesn't scream “racist”, so pulling that card is a rude, dirty trick, used to quiet or shame those opposed to character's races being changed in the movies.

    I'm saying this as a black man, so try pulling that crap with me.

    2) I'm all for Donald Glover playing a cool black superhero. Patriot, Static and Cyborg are all great suggestions, but please say NO to characters that are either too lame to appear in any movie (Triathlon, Rocket Racer, etc) or too far from who Glover is, to make sense (Luke Cage, Black Panther). Just because Glover is black doesn't mean he'd automatically be perfect for every black role. It doesn't work like that. Casting Glover as Luke Cage would be like casting John Cena to play Bruce Banner. Why even Hulk out? What would be the point?

  • Kross29

    uh i guess I'll give you goku, but clearly he was alien looks blended in a world that was heavily inspired by asian culture. as for avatar- sorry but entire world is fantasy version of ancient asian cultures. lol and all these stories aren;t sent in any type of actual reality (including the superheroes) so saying that has something to do with it being ok with clearly changing the race of some characters, is off. i just think that since these 2 characters haven't been around as long as the supers and the average american doesn't really know who they are then it's ok to not be accurate. which is fine but I don't see why people are ok with this happening with those guys but not to guys like spiderman or superman.

  • JusDion

    Id be for donald playing robin but spiderman…..meh :(

  • Dysexia

    thor , heracules or gilgamesh are all better than jesus and older superheroes as well, jesus was however the original super hero reboot , and i think flava flav would make the best jesus though he's always trying to play a viking or maybe just with vicodin guess it helps with the crack hang overs

  • Dysexia

    there's alot of white people in south Africa ,there would be the ironic racial flip he would be black panther the villain who is donning the black suit to keep the brother down -which is more likely than a black teenager showing interest science ,

  • Dysexia

    spider man is owned by stan lee a white man

  • Dysexia

    since 1938 only white people have come from krypton, outkast say they are straight up on that kryptonite but are referencing plant life not the planet

  • Dysexia

    but he does own some black kids so he is already saving africa one child at a time , though his wife's cotton farm is a little suspect because of this

  • Dysexia

    i think in 1938, a black baby landing on the kent farm, would not have been adopted

  • Dysexia

    falcon makes the most sense of these other posts i read , he's not big enough for cage nor is chris helmsworth big enough to play thor

  • Ruelane

    The only character he can play that is a black is black volkan. nough said

  • Desmond09

    Uh they had Jessica Alba (who clearly isn’t white) play Sue Storm (a blonde, blue eyed, white girl)

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