Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature The Punisher's long-awaited return to the big screen. Jon Bernthal first played the character in Netflix's Marvel Television shows, with appearances in Daredevil and two seasons of his own spin-off series.
After being reintroduced in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Frank Castle will find himself butting heads with New York's Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man...a very different type of vigilante compared to the Man Without Fear.
The first trailer offered some hints about their dynamic, and we now have new details directly from Peter Parker himself, Tom Holland. In his first interview since that teaser dropped earlier this week, the actor revealed what fans can expect from the iconic duo.
"I think one of the things I've enjoyed most about my tenure as Spider-Man is sharing the screen with Robert Downey Jr. and really building that Spider-Man, Iron Man relationship," Holland said. "But I am so excited for people to see John Bernthal as the Punisher in this movie. You know, he's come from a very different world."
"He's in the R-rated universe, and we've basically picked him up and plonked him into our world, and he absolutely sings in this movie. He is incredible. The relationship between Spider-Man and the Punisher is so funny, and it changed a lot, and it evolved a lot as we were shooting because Jon and I would improvise."
"It started as this relationship of two people that really kind of hate each other, I guess, and then as we started improvising, it became this big brother-little brother rivalry, and it might be my favourite dynamic that I've ever seen with Spider-Man," the actor added.
It sounds like Marvel Studios has done something really interesting with Spider-Man and The Punisher, even with the latter being put front and centre in a PG-13 setting for the first time. However, it sounds like this movie's tone makes sense for a character like Frank.
"You know, tonally, the movie feels more mature," Holland teased. "I think what the characters are going through is definitely something that young people will really relate to. I'm really excited to see what people think. I think it's our best one."
After the trailer obliterated viewership records, it's clear that anticipation is through the roof for more Spider-Man in the MCU. With any luck, that means we won't have to wait another 5 years for a sequel, which is roughly how long it's been since 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.