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“Forty-two was Jackie Robinson’s jersey number for the Brooklyn Dodgers,” Peter Ramsey said. “He was a barrier-smashing Black superhero in baseball, and [Miles is a] color-smashing Black superhero in Spider-Man comics,” the co-director explained. The number appears on the spider that bites Miles Morales in the movie and also appears on the ground next to him after he falls during an early flying attempt.
However, more people have been introduced to Miles Morales than ever with the success of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Not only will the character be returning in two upcoming sequels, but he also appeared in two popular and well-received video game adaptations alongside other iconic characters from Marvel’s comic book series.
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This ethos is set to expand further with the release of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which will feature even more diverse versions of Spider-Man. The film is set to introduce the Spider-Society, and along with it comes a pregnant Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), an Irish-Mexican Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), and a whole host of others.
As for Robinson, though the baseball icon passed away over 50 years ago, the number 42 remains a pivotal reminder of our past and the brave athletes that helped to break down the color walls of racism and segregation. Given its importance to the first film, fans might also want to keep their eyes open for instances of the number recurring in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which will be in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.
