Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Reveals Why 42 Is Such an Important Number in the Movie

In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse there are plenty of interesting Easter Eggs and references. From animated versions of iconic moments from Sam Raimi’s three Spider-Man films to the clever plays on various movies and more (particularly in the Times Square scenes), there are no shortage fun nods to puzzle out. One reference that pops up several times in the film, however, is the number 42 and now, co-producer Christopher Miller has confirmed the important meaning behind them: they’re to honor Jackie Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player.

On Wednesday night during ComicBook.com’s Quarantine Watch Party for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miller confirmed that the 42 that is repeated in the film has important significance with the official Spider-Verse Twitter account elaborating a bit further.

“Yes, the 42 at the beginning was the lottery ball that got Miles into Visions Academy,” Miller wrote. “42 and Miles have a lot of synergy.”

“References to the number 42 throughout #SpiderVerse are in honor of Jackie Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player, whose jersey number was 42,” the official account further explained.

As noted, Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era, breaking the baseball color line when he started at first base playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Robinson’s signing by the Dodgers began the end of racial segregation in professional baseball as black players had been relegated to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. Robinson, whose jersey number was 42, played in the MLB for 10 years, playing in six World Series during his career, contributing to the Dodgers’ 1955 championship win. He retired in October 1956, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, and, in 1997, the MLB retired Robinson’s uniform number across all major league teams.

Given Robinson’s groundbreaking career, the use of 42 in association with Miles Morales in Spider-Verse is quite fitting. When Miles was introduced in comics in 2011, he marked the first-ever black Spider-Man, taking on the mantle following the death of Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe, though with the end of the Ultimate imprint, Miles is now part of the main Marvel-616 universe and part of a new incarnation of the Champions team.

A sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is set to hit theaters on October 7, 2022.

Did you realize the significance of the 42 references in Into the Spider-Verse? Let us know in the comments below!