The 11 Best Donald Glover Movies and TV Shows, Ranked
While most of the world knows him as Childish Gambino, the many talents of Donald Glover stretch far beyond music. He’s a man who’s not afraid to put his face (or in the case of his recent performance as Yoshi in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, his voice) to a project, get in front of the camera, and generally get silly with it.
For me, he’s one of the most flawless rappers on the planet and his lyrics are, frankly, genius. His music has been a big part of my life for more than a decade. But any time he shows up in a TV series or a film, it’s a totally different kind of joy, and I’ll always rush to check out the latest Donald Glover movie or small screen project.
He’s done a lot of work behind the scenes, like producing hard-hitting, unique shows like Swarm. Glover also has brief cameos in the likes of 30 Rock, Girls, and even briefly pops up in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, in this instance, we’re looking at his ten most prominent on-screen roles as we rank the Donald Glover movies and TV shows that you have to check out.
I don’t want to start on a negative note, but I really do wish Disney would stop doing live-action remakes of their already incredible animated movies. I wouldn’t mind if a) they took the story in a slightly new direction instead of just copying the animation frame-for-frame, and b) they didn’t turn dynamic, expressive anthropomorphic characters into uncanny valley CGI experiments. Admittedly, the visual effects in The Lion King remake are very impressive, but that doesn’t mean it’s not weird to see realistic lions talking.
On a more positive note, Donald Glover brings his exquisite singing voice to the role of Simba and along with Beyonce as Nala, he really captures the magic of those memorable musical numbers. For anyone like me who grew up watching the original, you’re probably going to grumble while watching this film, but at least your kids will love it.
Ok, so it look like critics have not been having the best time with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but, much like its predecessor, I highly doubt that's going to stop it from making an absolute bucketload at the box office. In truth, the first movie was actually a pretty fun time — especially with the great Jack Black crooning his way through his performance as Bowser.
Galaxy reintroduces most of the same characters back into the fold while also bringing in a few welcome new recruits, including Benny Safdie's Bowser jr. and, better yet, Donald Glover's Yoshi — he really has turned out to be a good fit for Mario's favourite little egg-pooping dinosaur. If you were or are a fan of these classic games and enjoyed the colour and playful energy of the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie, you'll probably have a pretty good time with this one.
You can imagine my feelings towards Mufasa: The Lion King are pretty similar to everything I just said about the 2019 film, but I have to give credit here for the fact that Disney at least spawned a new story for us to dive into. There’s always going to be merit in anything that Barry Jenkins touches, and he imbues this movie with a sense of life, spirit, and emotion that was lacking in previous the film.
I wouldn’t say Mufasa is going to change your life, nor is it the kind of film I’d be rushing to watch again, but it was definitely worth just under two hours of my time. It’s easy to track down as it’s on Disney Plus, it offers nice context to The Lion King and puts us back in that world, which is never a bad thing, and it’s a real crowdpleaser for family movie nights.
Finally, an entry where we get to see Donald Glover’s face! If you’re a fan of the Mr. & Mrs. Smith movie from 2005 – and you should be, because it’s so much fun – you’ll naturally enjoy this TV adaptation starring Glover and Maya Erskine. It’s a slightly different spin on that original premise, though the electric dynamic between the two leads is much the same here, and it’s a series packed with great action sequences, too.
It’s a real shame Phoebe Waller-Bridge didn’t stick around to bring this project to life, but the Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV series is oozing with Glover’s creative juices, providing a fresh lease of life away from its predecessor. I loved this show, and so did my partner, and I think that’s partly down to the fact it’s got an episodic feel so it’s never overwhelming or too heavy, but the overarching story is intriguing enough to keep you hooked. It’s on Prime Video, as well, so it couldn’t be easier to start watching.
I wouldn’t normally make reference to a short film in a list like this, but I believe Guava Island deserves a special mention. At 56 minutes long, it’s technically a feature film, albeit a short one, and Glover certainly packs enough into the story here to make it feel like a fully fleshed-out movie. Starring alongside Rihanna and Letitia Wright, Glover shines as the charismatic yet troubled Deni Maroon in a film that weaves multiple genres together. If you’re into mystery thrillers with a comedic and musical twist, you’re going to love this.
Guava Island came out around the time Glover was riding high in the wake of the Childish Gambino album Awaken, My Love and his politically-charged hit This Is America. It made a lot of sense, then, that he would channel his music into a work of fiction like this. The only problem is it’s not streaming anywhere anymore, but if you’re able to track it down, it’s well worth it. Anyone who’s enjoyed movies like Blindspotting, Queen & Slim, or Waves will have a good time with Guava Island.
The first Magic Mike movie was a roaring success, largely because it strikes a brilliant balance between brazenly catering to the female gaze and tongue-in-cheek parody moments. However, with Magic Mike XXL, Gregory Jacobs took over directorial duties and steered this installment into full-on buddy road trip territory, and it worked a treat.
One thing I always love about movies like this is that you can tell all the actors involved are having the time of their lives, which makes it so much fun to watch. But, while the Magic Mike movies are often regarded as a bit of mindless entertainment, they actually have a great deal to say on the topic of toxic masculinity. I remember me and my brother randomly watched this as a bit of a joke, and came away very surprised and impressed. If you like films like That Awkward Moment, Top Gun: Maverick, or even Channing Tatum’s latest, Roofman, you’ll vibe with Magic Mike XXL.
Donald Glover has long had an affinity with Spider-Man, stretching back to 2010 when Community fans started a campaign to get the actor cast as the hero. He’s always been a huge fan of the character, and while that push from fans didn’t quite work, he did cross paths with the webslinger in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Glover’s role is brief but brilliant: he plays Aaron Davis, whom Spidey fans will know as Miles Morales’ uncle, who eventually becomes Prowler, so we could still see him become more prominent in the MCU in the future.
For me, Spider-Man: Homecoming is probably the weakest of the three Tom Holland Spider-Man movies to date, but that’s more testament to the quality of the trilogy than anything. Michael Keaton’s performance as the villainous Vulture is a real highlight, while the coming-of-age, high school movie influences from the likes of The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off imbue this film with so much energy. My five-year-old son still hasn’t quite connected with the Tobey Maguire Spidey films, but he loves Spider-Man: Homecoming, which should tell you all you need to know about it.
The Disney Star Wars era has had its fair share of ups and downs, and Solo: A Star Wars Story is considered something of a low point. That’s largely down to its box office takings, though, with the Han Solo origin movie taking roughly $393 million against a $275 million budget (with high production costs factored in, this is the first Star Wars movie to be deemed a financial failure). But guess what? Box office does not dictate the quality of a film, and I’d argue we’ve all been too harsh on this film.
Massive credit should go to Alden Ehrenreich for capturing the mannerisms and spirit of Han Solo without simply copying Harrison Ford. However, it’s Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian who steals the show; if you thought Billy Dee Williams was cool, Glover takes Lando to a whole new level. Solo: A Star Wars Story is far from perfect, but it’s packed with thrilling action set-pieces, and above all, it’s what any good Star Wars film should be: lots and lots of fun.
It may not be at the top of this list, but Atlanta is certainly the most creative and interesting piece of work Donald Glover has ever created as an actor-writer-producer. Glover stars as Earnest, a down-on-his-luck music producer who tries to ride the coattails of his cousin, the up-and-coming rap sensation, Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry). With madcap pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) and baby momma Van (Zazie Beetz) in tow, chaos regularly ensues for the quartet, often with a surrealist spin. But the show tackles some pretty serious themes, most notably poverty and racism.
At times, Atlanta is fantastically funny and razor-sharp in its satirical take on society. At others, the show takes rather dark turns – Season 2, Episode 6, titled ‘Teddy Perkins’, is a horror-esque tale riffing on the mythology around Michael Jackson. This show is so diverse from episode to episode, which is what makes it so fascinating. If you’re into shows like The White Lotus, Beef, Broad City, or films like Sorry To Bother You and Uncut Gems, you’ll relish the madness of Atlanta.
Admittedly, Donald Glover doesn’t have the biggest role in The Martian. He doesn’t even go to space. And yet, his brief but brilliant turn as astrodynamicist Rich Purnell is a really fun and pretty integral part of the film – he’s the one who comes up with the plan to rescue Matt Damon (that guy always needs rescuing, doesn’t he?)
The Martian is not only a very entertaining sci-fi film with loads of light comedy from Damon, it’s also pretty emotional by the end. Through it all, Ridley Scott and his team bring a phenomenal level of technical detail to proceedings. This movie is so rewatchable, and now is a great time to do so given the interplanetary success of Project Hail Mary (another story from the brilliant Andy Weir). If you’re a fan of introspective science fiction like Ad Astra, Arrival, or Gravity, you cannot miss The Martian.
