Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Hides Far More Easter Eggs Than Most Fans Caught

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the greatest Marvel movies ever made, and it is full of insane details and Easter eggs that really make it one of the best comic book films of all time. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, and it showed that Sony knew what they were doing with Spider-Man after their Amazing Spider-Man films flopped pretty hard. "I still love you Andrew and even you electro."

This is not every single detail in the film. I have tried to focus on things that have not been mentioned in most of the other breakdowns of the movie, so there are heavy spoilers ahead. Later on I will also get to a version of Kingpin's family in which his son looks exactly like Matt Murdock, hinting at Kingpin's son being Daredevil in that universe.

Miles Morales Lives in a World Slightly Different From Ours

The movie starts with a glitchy Columbia logo that hints at the multiverse existing, and it does this through numerous versions of the statue. Throughout the movie there are several hints that even Miles's world is a different one from ours. Miles has a poster of Chance the Rapper in his room, and the figure has a 4 on his cap. In real life the rapper wears a 3, which is another clue to the multiversity of the film. Multiversity is a real word, because Grant Morrison made it up.

On Jefferson's uniform the badge does not read NYPD the way it would here, and a news report comes from NNC instead of CNN. You can also spot a movie poster for From Dusk Till Shaun, which was supposed to be a sequel to Shaun of the Dead featuring vampires. A film called Hold Your Horses starring Seth Rogen is displayed in Times Square too. They are very minor differences from our dimension.

In the introductory story Peter gives us, which shows Uncle Ben, we can see that Peter is actually blond. That teases that this is not a version of the character we have seen before.

The Number 42 Is Laced Through the Entire Film

In the title sequence we see the spider that eventually bites Miles, and it has the number 42 written on it. We get a quick cut of a lottery ball that also has 42 on it, and that was Miles's winning number, the one that got him into Brooklyn Visions Academy. During the film Miles falls off a building and hits a sign, which then drops the numbers 4 and 2.

When he rides the bus with Peter later in the film, the maximum occupancy is 42. The number also appears at the subway station just after Peter's death is announced. It is clearly laced throughout the movie, and according to a Reddit user it symbolises the character being the first African American version of Spider-Man. 42 was Jackie Robinson's number, and he was the first black professional baseball player.

Peter Parker's Intro Nods to the Maguire and Holland Movies

We see that this Spider-Man has lived through many moments similar to the Maguire movies, including stopping the train and kissing Mary Jane upside down. He punched a car as well, and he also did the best dance moves ever in a movie. There is also a nod to the Holland universe, in which he holds two buses from falling off the Brooklyn Bridge, which apes the MCU webhead pulling the ferry back together.

Peter's name badge is nice and crisp, almost new. That completely contrasts with Peter B. Parker's badge later in the movie, which is crumpled and messy, symbolising his style compared to the first one we meet. Then Spider-Man swings through the city and at one point seven birds fly by him as he says there is only one Spider-Man. Those seven birds represent the seven versions of the character that appear in the movie, and they show that Peter was wrong.

Superman, Deadpool and Great Expectations Shape Miles's World

Cut to Miles's room, where there is what looks like a Superman poster above his easel, hinting that the hero might have had an influence on him. There is also an award ribbon that looks like Deadpool's symbol. It is nice that they managed to drop these comic book references in without them feeling too forced, and yes, I know Superman is part of DC.

Miles's dad takes him to school and tells him he does not want to end up like his uncle Aaron. Even though the two brothers are estranged, Aaron's locked phone screen still shows a photo of the two together, and later we see that Jefferson has one of the pair too. That shows the two still care about each other even if they do not talk. You can also see Gwen crossing the road behind Jefferson, the first time we actually see the character.

The book Great Expectations is mentioned in class during the school montage, and Miles is later assigned it after purposely trying to fail his test. That motif carries throughout the film, with Miles trying to live up to the great expectations set for him. His graffiti tag is also Expectations. If with great power comes great responsibility for Peter, then for Miles it comes with great expectations.

Doc Ock and the Prowler Are Hidden in Plain Sight

We see a lesson in which Dr. Olivia Octavius talks about the multiverse. We do not learn her full name straight away because Miles stands in front of the projector, but through the film we discover her identity. She even wears octagonal glasses with eight sides, which ties into her name.

At Aaron's place there are several clues that he is the Prowler, including a picture above his sofa that looks like it has the name written in graffiti over it. Aaron watches Community, specifically the scene in which Donald Glover wears Spider-Man pajamas, and Glover plays Aaron in the MCU. It is a weird inception of Easter eggs, with Aaron watching the multiverse version of himself in Spider-Man's clothes. "yeah my head almost just exploded." Aaron also tells Miles about the hey line, and when Miles uses it on Kingpin later, we see the text appear behind him.

After Miles is bitten and embarrasses himself with Gwen, he turns to Spider-Man comics for a heads up on handling his abilities. I always wondered why Spider-Man gave away his identity in them and then kept wearing a mask, but if you zoom in on the cover, he gives a slightly different name to hide his true identity. Miles calls Aaron, the call goes to voicemail, and we hear he is out of town. With hindsight he was working for Kingpin, and at the subway station we see what looks like Aaron from behind, hinting that he was lying. Miles also has a contact called B Bendis, a nod to Brian Michael Bendis, who created the character.

Miles's Spider Sense Changes Color to Show Whose Footsteps He Will Follow

When Miles comes across Spider-Man and the Green Goblin fighting, his spider sense is initially green and purple before it changes to blue and red. Aaron's colors are green and purple, but the change shows that Miles is no longer going to be led, potentially to a life of crime, by his uncle, and will instead follow in Peter's footsteps.

Peter climbs to the switch using a special set of moves, holding onto the cylinders of the supercollider. Later Miles uses the same technique, and Gwen tells Peter B, "I didn't teach him that and I know you definitely didn't," so we know this is where he got it from. After the explosion in the collider, if you slow it down, you can see five lights burst out, representing the five travelling spider people.

Peter dies, and Miles is chased down by his uncle. I absolutely loved this scene; the score is incredible and the colors are amazing, with hints of green and purple on the Prowler tying back to his colors. Then comes a Post Malone cameo, and his song Sunflower is the one Miles can be heard singing throughout. Stan Lee tells Miles the suit always fits eventually, perhaps suggesting Miles will grow into the role.

Peter B. Parker Is Older, Heavier and Electrocuted Accurately

Miles meets Peter at the graveyard and electrocutes him. The shock travels through his nervous system instead of his skeleton, as is typical in films, which is more scientifically accurate. It is nice that they took the time to animate it even though it lasts about a split second. In Peter's flashback, Tombstone hits him with a bus, which you need to watch in slow motion. This Spider-Man is older than the one at the start, which is why his hair is going grey and he has put on a bit of weight.

They race through the city in a scene similar to Peter attaching himself to the train in Spider-Man 2, with a blink and you will miss it Stan Lee cameo as he steps over pears lying on the ground. As Miles interrogates Peter, we see his black eye heal throughout the scene. A Reddit user spotted that the restaurant they visit has a C hygiene rating. Peter says it closed six years ago in his dimension, and it is likely the same will happen to this one.

Alchemax Reveals Doc Ock and Peter's Personal Biases

At Alchemax, when Peter plans things out, we see a comic accurate version of Doc Ock in front of this universe's female one, which makes Peter re-examine his personal biases. We also see one of Doc's tentacles on a desk before she sprouts the arms, a little clue to who the villain really is. I tried pausing her desktop for cooler Easter eggs, but it was mostly files like dinner party and student results. There was one called Ock notes and secret plans, and a fantasy league one.

Doc Ock introduces herself as Dr. Olivia Octavius and says her friends call her Liv. Later Aunt May comes face to face with her and also calls her Liv, which makes me wonder whether these two used to have dinner parties together.

As they escape with a computer, a fan noticed that when they knock a bagel off someone's head, the onomatopoeia text just says bagel. The same fan pointed out that Miles's animation shows how out of sync he is with Peter. Initially Miles has half of the frames cut from his swinging, so he looks less smooth, but by the end of the film he has all of the frames. It shows that he is more accomplished and has lived up to the great expectations.

Gwen, the Spider Cave and Miles Growing Into the Suit

Gwen lands on point, because this version of the character was an accomplished ballerina. In her story she saved her father, Captain Stacy, whose death is still one of the big ones in Spider-Man comics. She is seen kicking the Lizard while saying she could not save her best friend, who is Peter, and there are scales on the character's skin, showing he took on that mantle in her universe. We also see a metal Doc Ock tentacle, probably closer to the version we know, or maybe I need to re-examine my own biases.

In the spider cave there are a ton of suits that have been picked apart in other breakdowns, but in the middle there is a mannequin without one, because this dimension's Peter did not come home. When the three meet the other spider people, Miles's spider sense does not trigger as fast as Peter's and Gwen's, because he is still behind them in ability. When Miles first looks at the suit, his eyes are not level with the mask, but when the scene repeats later his face is level with it, showing he is finally ready to become Spider-Man.

Spider-Man Noir, Penny and Aaron's Death

Spider-Man Noir says the wind blows wherever he goes, and that is literally shown every time he is on screen. In another blink and you will miss it moment, he glitches black and white, unlike the others who are in color. Penny is the only one who is not bitten by a spider, so she does not have the same abilities. When they all hide on the ceiling from Miles's roommate, Penny is squeezed between them rather than stuck to the wall.

When Miles discovers his uncle is the Prowler and Aaron grabs him, his vision goes from purple to normal even before the mask comes off, showing the reveal has completely disarmed him mentally. Aaron is killed, which mirrors the death of Uncle Ben, who was integral to Peter's origin. Miles is initially rejected by the spider gang, but after his father tells him he will do good no matter what, he takes a leap of faith. I love how, as he plummets, the shot is flipped so he looks like he is ascending rather than falling.

A PlayStation Button, a Daredevil Nod and Kingpin's Alternate Families

In the supercollider attack there are a couple of Easter eggs I have not seen pointed out before. Spider-Man Noir throws a car that looks like one from the 1930s, showing it was pulled from his dimension, and his colors change to black and white as he returns home. Peter tells Miles to hit the green button, and a PlayStation controller flies past with the triangle highlighted. On a PlayStation controller the triangle is green, a nice bit of advertising for Sony's console.

A Reddit user noticed that Miles and Kingpin land on a fractured bridge, a reference to the Netflix show Daredevil, which features similar iconography in its opening. You can also spot a version of Kingpin's family in which his son looks exactly like Matt Murdock, hinting that Kingpin's son is Daredevil in that universe. There is also an African American version of the family, which could be a reference to Michael Clarke Duncan's version of the character.

Miles finishes the fight using the hey move Aaron taught him, avenging his death with his uncle's own wisdom, and in some ways getting revenge on Kingpin too. As Miles closes the doorway, the food replicator from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs flies into it, and an anvil hits it, which I am guessing came from Spider-Ham's universe. The movie ends with Miles and Jefferson repairing their relationship, Miles finishing his paper on Great Expectations, and Peter returning to MJ. Oscar Isaac appears in the post-credits scene, and when I wrote this I could not wait for the next movie.

Did you spot any other appearances of the number 42, or details I missed in the film?