Spider-Man's first solo outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is less than a year away, and that means the rumor mill is churning harder than ever.

Many of the characters being played by recognizable actors have been kept under wraps during the Atlanta-based shoot, but that has never stopped theories from emerging about just who they could be portraying.

The latest of these rumors is a really deep cut, even for the most committed Marvel fans, but it has some solid grounds for questioning. The character in question? Nightwatch.

If you haven't heard of Nightwatch, don't worry, you're not alone. The character only appeared in a small number of issues, but was able to get a small run of his own book. The series didn't last long, though, and that seemed to be due to his overwhelming similarities to the 90s comic phenomenon, Spawn.

It may seem odd for Nightwatch to appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the employees over at Sony have taken a sudden interest in the caped character.

According to the folks over at Bleeding Cool, Sony employees have started purchasing any Nightwatch comics they can get their hands on. For a character that hasn't appeared for over 20 years, this can't be a coincidence.

After all, studio employees often buy up property origins when they find out about a new character introduction. Not only will those products become hot commodities once the official announcements are made, but those working in the studio want to have the total scoop on the character as well.

Remember those big actors we talked about earlier? There are still a couple out there who would make total sense as Nightwatch.

Bleeding Cool suggests that Bokeem Woodbine may be playing the character, despite reports that the actor will portray the villain, Shocker.

Woodbine would be a good choice, but fan-favorite Donald Glover makes even more sense.

Glover has been tight-lipped about his role since it was announced that he had joined the cast, and keeping that quiet must mean he plays an exciting character. He looks the part of Nightwatch, fits the character's age pretty well, and the action-packed role would appease fans who wanted to see Glover as Spidey instead.

Logan Marshall Greene has also been mum about his role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. While the actor is much more brooding than Glover, he doesn't quite fit the bill.

The only other option here is that Nightwatch isn't in the movie after all. However, that doesn't mean he won't appear soon.

The Sony employees buying Nightwatch comics definitely means something, and Homecoming isn't the only Marvel property on their upcoming slate.

Sony is also working on a solo film for the Spider-Man character, Venom. While his role is usually opposite Peter Parker, Venom had plenty of dealings with his evil offspring, a villain by the name of Carnage. This may sound like a rabbit trail, but stick with it.

The majority of Nightwatch's appearances in Spider-Man comics came during his major role in the storyline titled, Maximum Carnage. This title saw Venom, Spider-Man, Captain America, and a host of other characters team-up to stop Carnage during his rampage through New York.

One of these heroes? You guessed it - Nightwatch.

It would be exciting if Nightwatch were to appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and that would also mean new comics for the old character. If he is saved for the Venom movie instead, well that's just fine too.

Source: Bleeding Cool