It's hard to remember the last time a superhero movie generated as much intrigue and excitement as Spider-Man: Brand New Day. By the time it swings into theaters, the wall-crawler will have been absent from our screens for nearly five years, so that may go some way in explaining it.
Marvel Studios has committed to telling a street-level adventure with Spidey, and The Punisher's presence suggests we'll continue exploring the same corner of the MCU first teased in Daredevil: Born Again earlier this year.
Much has been said about Spider-Man: Brand New Day's villains, and scooper @MyTimeToShineH is reporting today that the movie could feature upwards of eight baddies.
So, that's The Scorpion, Tombstone, Tarantula, Boomerang, Ramrod...The Hulk...The Punisher...and Frank Castle's female sidekick?
Earlier this month, The Cosmic Circus shared its take on the reports that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature multiple villains. "The idea behind the multiple side villains that we’re seeing reported by multiple scoopers isn’t because scoopers are confused," the site explained.
"A good majority of those villains being reported are meant to be a part of an opening montage similar to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where we would see Spider-Man take on these villains over the years since No Way Home."
It was added that, "We’ll see how with each passing battle, Peter would upgrade his suit, reaching the one we see in Brand New Day."
It may sound like Spider-Man: Brand New Day is overstuffed, but if many of these villains appear in an opening montage, then we're sure it'll work out just fine. Marvel Studios is likely looking to populate the streets of New York with as many antagonists as possible, as that should help explain why Spider-Man has gone from facing Avengers-level threats to protecting Manhattan.
That will also go a long way in setting the stage for the rest of this trilogy, especially as there's plenty of mileage in a character like Tombstone, for example.
Let us know your thoughts on this latest Spider-Man: Brand New Day rumour in the comments section.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day shares a title with a divisive era of storytelling, which, thanks to a deal with Mephisto, saw the wall-crawler get a fresh start when his marriage to Mary Jane Watson ended and his identity became 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, though they don't currently look set to appear in this movie. Instead, all signs point to Spidey teaming up with (and at some point fighting) The Punisher to take on a Savage Hulk, with The Scorpion thrown in for good measure.
Several other villains are reportedly set to appear in the movie, including Tombstone, Tarantula, Boomerang, and Ramrod. There's been some chatter online about the Venom Symbiote factoring into the story, potentially setting the stage for Mac Gargan to eventually don the alien costume.
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 Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Michael Mando, Tramell Tillman, and Liza Colón-Zayas. Thunderbolts* star Florence Pugh is also rumoured to have joined the cast.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.