Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to continue Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe right before Avengers: Doomsday, and the upcoming movie will feature one groundbreaking addition. Following the MCU’s Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy, helmed by Jon Watts, Brand New Day enlists Destin Daniel Cretton as its director. The film takes place after the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, at the end of which the entire world forgets who Peter is. Brand New Day‘s plot details have been kept under wraps thus far; however, several casting announcements have been made. Returning alongside Holland are Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned, while Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas are joining in undisclosed roles. Most recently, it was confirmed that Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher will take part in Brand New Day.
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Interestingly, Punisher has not appeared in a feature-length film since 2008’s Punisher: War Zone, in which Ray Stevenson portrayed the main character. In the last 17 years, Marvel has primarily used Punisher in TV, most notably Netflix’s The Punisher series, which aired two seasons in 2017 and 2019. A ruthless vigilante bent on achieving justice through violence, Frank has evolved as one of Marvel’s most complex anti-heroes both in the comic and on screen. Punisher recently made his MCU debut in the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again in support of Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil. As the MCU gears up for its next big event in 2026’s Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, Brand New Day represents an exciting new venture for Punisher. Making him a supporting character in MCU movies going forward could be right move.
Punisher’s Role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day Has Been a Long Time Coming
Outside of Punisher: War Zone, Punisher has headlined two other movies in history. 1989’s The Punisher was the character’s first solo outing, with Dolph Lundgren in the title role. Directed by Mark Goldblatt and written by Boaz Yakin, the film follows Frank’s origin story involving his family’s murder and his subsequent turn to vigilante justice and fight against powerful mobs. 1989’s The Punisher was not well received, as it holds a 25% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Next came 2004’s The Punisher, starring Thomas Jane as Frank. The reboot marks the first use of Punisher’s iconic skull logo and remains generally well-regarded by fans. In writer-director Jonathan Hensleigh’s iteration, Frank begins as an undercover FBI agent on top of his background in the U.S. Marine Corps before he sets out to avenge his family. A sequel was in development, but never came to fruition due to problems with its script.
Punisher: War Zone centers on Frank five years after becoming the Punisher. Director Lexi Alexander’s movie sees its main character reckon with the consequences of his vigilantism when he accidentally kills an FBI agent. Dominic West’s Billy Rusoti/Jigsaw serves as the villain in the action-packed tale. Unfortunately, War Zone opened to yet another negative critical reception, marking the latest Punisher film to struggle with winning over the masses.
From 2016 to now, Bernthal’s tenure as Punisher has only involved TV appearances, but they’ve been great. Bernthal’s Punisher garnered tons of praise in his on-screen debut in Netflix’s Daredevil Season 2 in 2016, as well as his solo series. The success of the two acclaimed shows paved the way for the MCU’s revival of the Defenders on Disney+, which will continue beyond Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s status as Punisher’s first movie in 17 years represents an exciting new direction for the gun-toting vigilante. The full extent of his role isn’t yet known, but the prospect of Frank clashing with the less lethal-minded Spider-Man appears a compelling dynamic. Punisher’s involvement in Brand New Day also likely indicates that the film will fixate on street-level heroes and events — a concept fans have been begging for amid the MCU’s many extraterrestrial and multiversal storylines.
Punisher’s Best Days Could Be in the MCU’s Future
Now fully integrated into the MCU, Bernthal’s Punisher is slated to lead his own special presentation on Disney+. Set after the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, the project will release in 2026 – though its relation to Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t certain. Without a doubt, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be Punisher’s biggest appearance in over a decade. Viewers last saw Punisher reuniting with Daredevil in New York to fight Mayor Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) Anti-Vigilante Task Force and later escaping Fisk’s dungeon. Thanks to an intriguing setup provided by Daredevil: Born Again, the character’s return to the big screen promises more brutality and moral ambiguity, even if it must align with Brand New Day‘s probable PG-13 rating.
It looks like Marvel has found its stride with Punisher since Bernthal took over the role nine years ago. The franchise’s success is pretty groundbreaking given its slew of Punisher movie failures in the past. Bernthal has proven supremely capable as Frank, bringing a certain ferocity, anguish, and passion to the role none of his predecessors could capture. Luckily, the MCU is finally letting him shine following his post-Netflix series hiatus, and Brand New Day could finally produce the film rendition of Punisher fans have been waiting for.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to open in theaters on July 31, 2026.
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