It was back in January when The Hot Mic's John Rocha claimed that the then-untitled Spider-Man 4 would see Tom Holland's Peter Parker team up with Jon Bernthal's Punisher to do battle with The Hulk.
The rumour was hard to believe, but then the ones that frequently come true often are when we first hear them!
Yesterday evening, the trades confirmed that Bernthal has been tapped to star in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and while the Jade Giant's return remains unconfirmed, the movie is shaping up to be very different from what we expected.
Bernthal's Punisher made his MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again after previously playing the character in Netflix's Daredevil and two seasons of his own spin-off series. His return was celebrated by fans, and over the years, the actor has become synonymous with the role.
In the Man Without Fear's Disney+ show, Frank Castle brutally killed members of Mayor Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force and was ultimately captured by them. A post-credits scene teased his escape, and while a "Special Presentation" is on the way, how can the R-Rated killer fit into a PG-13 movie?
That's a question for another day, but The Hollywood Reporter has included an interesting tidbit in its piece confirming Bernthal's Spider-Man: Brand New Day role.
"Curiously, one nonnegotiable he had for his return to Daredevil was maintaining the character’s violent, R-rated feel," the trade writes. "It will be interesting to see how that translates into the more kid-friendly tone of the Spider-Man movies."
It's a valid point, but Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Aunt May die at the hands of the Green Goblin, and Peter has gotten pretty bloodied in each of his MCU solo outings, so it's not like the PG-13 franchise is that kid-friendly.
While Bernthal has seemingly walked back on his "one nonnegotiable," it's hard to blame him when it means bringing The Punisher back to the big screen alongside an actor, Holland, whom he helped land the role of Spider-Man.
We definitely don't anticipate seeing anything as violent as Daredevil: Born Again, and how will Spider-Man feel about working with a vigilante who murders the criminals he encounters? Spidey doesn't kill, but he came close after fighting Norman Osborn. And will Daredevil at least show up in a cameo role? Here's hoping.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day shares a title with a controversial era of storytelling, which saw Marvel Comics give the wall-crawler a fresh start by ending his marriage to Mary Jane Watson and making his identity secret again. He faced many new sinister foes during that time and was surrounded by an overhauled supporting cast, including a resurrected Harry Osborn.
Mister Negative, Jackpot, Menace, and Carlie Cooper were some of the standout additions to his world, and are among the most likely possibilities to make an appearance next summer. You can learn more about how "Brand New Day" may influence the next Spider-Man movie here.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings helmer Destin Daniel Cretton directs Spider-Man: Brand New Day from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Tom Holland leads a cast that also includes Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and Liza Colón-Zayas.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.