In 2010, “Community” star Donald Glover embraced an internet campaign to cast him as Peter Parker in Sony’s live action Spider-Man films. Taking inspiration from that, comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis created Miles Morales, a half African-American and half Hispanic teenager who became the new title character in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic when Peter Parker was killed off.
According to USA Today, Miles Morales is coming to the new season of “Ultimate Spider-Man” on Disney XD and Glover will be voicing the character that he inspired. “I don’t think it’s hit me necessarily yet how big of a deal that is,” explained Glover. “I’m very grateful for that, and it’s cool to read the comic now… I don’t look at this as second place. Spider-Man, he’s such an icon — you have to do something with him.”
Related: Amazing Spider-Man Producers Say ‘No’ to Miles Morales
The guest appearance of Miles Morales will be a part of the “Spider-verse” storyline in “Ultimate Spider-Man” that finds Peter Parker (Drake Bell) traveling to alternate worlds to prevent his nemesis, the Green Goblin from collecting the DNA of various Spider-Men. Much like his comic book counterpart, the animated Miles Morales is only 13 years old and he comes from a world where Peter Parker is dead.
“[Miles] meets someone who is his hero, and that comes across completely in Donald’s performance,” said Marvel TV’s Vice President of Animation, Stephen Wacker. “He’s got a real warmth that suits the character really, really well… If you’ve read Miles Morales comics, Donald’s voice nails what you’ve been reading.”
Wacker added that “[Miles is] a kid you can root for, who you want good things for, who suffered some loss of his own, and we’re seeing him come to terms with his new powers and how to use them.”
Glover’s guest appearance on “Ultimate Spider-Man” will premiere in 2015 on Disney XD.
