Sophia Michaels
Donald Glover will help bring to life one of the most obscure — and probably the funkiest — villains Spider-Man has ever faced in a new movie centered around the Hypno-Hustler.
Glover is set to star in, and produce, the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with Eddie Murphy’s son, Myles Murphy, attached to write the screenplay. Neither a title, nor any plot details were revealed.
The Hypno-Hustler debuted at the height of the disco era — 1978 — in issue #24 of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. Created by writer Bill Mantlo (probably best known for creating Rocket Raccoon) and illustrator Frank Springer, the villain’s real name was Antoine Delsoin, he fronted a band called the Mercy Killers, and used hypnotic musical equipment to subdue his victims and rob them.
Maybe not surprisingly, the Hypno-Hustler never really caught on and was largely cast to the side, his legacy confined to spots on lists of the dumbest/goofiest/worst Spider-Man villains. But that obscurity — combined with the musical aspect — is reportedly what drew Glover to the character, as he’ll have more room to make the Hypno-Hustler his own, as opposed to a typical Marvel favorite weighted by certain expectations.
Still, the flick is definitely a surprise, not least because Glover has already been involved in a couple Spider-Man projects, and even played a villain in one of them. In 2015, he voiced Miles Morales/Spider-Man in the 2015 Disney animated series, Ultimate Spider-Man. Then, in 2017’s live-action Spider-Man: Homecoming, he made an appearance as Aaron Davis — Miles’ uncle, and eventual villain, the Prowler.
Glover recently wrapped up the fourth and final season of his acclaimed series, Atlanta. His next project is reportedly a series adaptation of the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt spy romance Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which is set to arrive next year.
