Tom Holland’sSpider-Man: Brand New Daywill mark Jon Bernthal’s first time in aMarvel Cinematic Universemovie as Punisher will be showing up in the 2026 installment. While Peter Parker may have been absent from the MCU since 2021, Holland is swinging his way back into the franchise in Phase 6, withSpider-Man: Brand New Day, following the conclusion of his initial trilogy. We still don’t know much aboutBrand New Day’s plot, but it seems we now know which MCU hero will be appearing this time.
The Hollywood Reporterhas revealed that Jon Bernthal, who has played Frank Castle sinceDaredevilseason 2, and even starred in his ownThe PunisherTV show, will be joining theSpider-Man: Brand New Daycast. At the time of this story’s publication,Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have yet to comment on Bernthal’sSpider-Man: Brand New Dayaddition.
Daredevil: Born Again
What Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Addition In Spider-Man: Brand New Day Means
Spider-Man: Brand New Dayhas also cast Sadie Sinkand Liza Colón-Zayas as mystery players, but Bernthal’s Punisher is the first major MCU TV character to be added to the film. Bernthal made his return to the MCU earlier this year inDaredevil: Born Againseason 1, and is set to star and write his own MCU Special Presentation for 2026;hisSpider-Man: Brand New Dayaddition shows that Marvel Studios is finally looking to do more with the Marvel-Netflix players, especially after Matt Murdock’s cameo inSpider-Man: No Way Home. With Punisher’s inclusion, this may also hint thatSpider-Man: Brand New Daywill have a more street-level, grounded story.
Bernthal and Holland famously helped each other with their respectivePunisher and Spider-Man auditions.
In the comics, the Punisher and Spider-Man originally started out as rivals - with the Punisher targeting Spider-Man because he believed him responsible for Gwen Stacy’s death. It’s safe to say they’ll be antagonists again; it remains to be seen whether Daredevil will also appear inBrand New Day, perhaps trying to make peace between the two. Bernthal’s appearance certainly makes it seem possible.
Our Take On Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Joining Spider-Man: Brand New Day
While time will tell how Punisher will fit intoSpider-Man: Brand New Day,this is going to be one of the biggest exciting aspects of the Phase 6 adventure, with Frank finally getting to engage with other MCU characters outside the world of TV. IfSpider-Man: Brand New Dayalso addsCharlie Cox’s Daredevil, it will be another stepping point for Holland’s web-crawler to get to work more with the street-level heroes of the franchise. Hopefully, withSpider-Man: Brand New Dayset to start filming soon, more casting news will be rolling out about the highly anticipated film.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Cast
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity from the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
