Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, will be making his big-screen debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, out in 2026.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and starring Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks the return of Peter Parker/Spider-Man following the game-changing ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. That film saw Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) cast a spell that made the whole world forget who Peter Parker is, essentially re-setting the MCU's Spider-Man franchise as we know it.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn't the only MCU project Bernthal's Punisher — who debuted in Netflix's Daredevil before leading Netflix's The Punisher — has been involved in lately. He also showed up in Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again and will be back for Season 2. Bernthal has also co-written the upcoming Punisher Special Presentation, working with co-writer and director Reinaldo Marcus Green.
The resolution of the Special Presentation and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 could give viewers clues as to what to expect from the Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but for now, plot details for Spidey's next film are understandably under wraps. Punisher's involvement could suggest a grittier, more street-level approach to Peter's story, as opposed to the multiversal and cosmic threats he faced in films like Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Aside from Holland and Bernthal, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will also star Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, reprising their roles as MJ and Ned. Is there any chance of them remembering Peter, or even reconnecting with him anew? Also joining the cast is Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in an as-yet unknown role.
