Marvel Studios is finally fleshing out the street-level corner of the MCU, but how will Daredevil: Born Again, The Punisher Special Presentation, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day link up?
A big part of that depends on whether Wilson Fisk is still the New York City Mayor at the end of Season 2. However, Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle is set to appear in the next Spider-Man movie (where the Man Without Fear is also rumoured to make a cameo appearance).
Even though the characters will cross paths on screen, Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum has confirmed that Marvel Studios is setting out to make each project its own. At the same time, the idea is to ensure there's a certain level of cohesiveness.
"It's exactly the same as anything in the MCU. It's a small, tight-knit group of producers, and wherever the characters cross or worlds cross, you're talking and looking at each other's work," he told Phase Hero. "That doesn't mean there are these major plot points that are set up in one project that pay off in the next project. It's more about making sure it feels like one universe."
"That doesn't mean you have to stick to the same tone or genre. We bounce around all the time from comedy to drama...you want New York to feel like the same New York. Like many things we do, the answers are in the source material and comics."
"You can read a Daredevil and Spider-Man comic, and you're looking at two completely different lenses of the world and of New York City," Winderbaum continued. "You want it to feel like the same city even though they're completely different in tone."
The Marvel Studios executive didn't share many new details about Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, but offered fans an exciting update about where things stand with The Punisher Special Presentation.
"It's wrapped up. We're in editorial now. Written by Jon Jon Bernthal and Rei Green, our director, shot by Robert Elswit, an Academy Award-winning DP," Winderbaum teased. "Beautiful piece, and incredibly acted by Jon. It's really emotional and wild."
In another recent conversation with ComicBook.com, the Marvel Television boss reined in expectations about how closely connected these street-level stories will be.
"I think everything will go in order," Winderbaum said of the MCU's timeline. "Daredevil Season 2 comes out before Spider-Man, and like I said, there’s a coherence there. They’re part of the world, but I wouldn’t put too much faith in big, strong narrative connections."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn't likely to feature the web-slinger battling The Kingpin then. Still, this was to be expected when Marvel Studios no longer wants fans to feel like they need to do streaming homework before watching their movies.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 comes to Disney+ in March 2026. The Punisher Special Presentation doesn't have a confirmed release date, but it will likely hit the streamer before Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.