Another familiar face from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is suiting up for the next Spider-Man movie. According to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle (aka the Punisher) in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, marking the comic character’s first theatrical appearance since 2008’s Punisher: War Zone.
Bernthal debuted as the Punisher in season 2 of Marvel’s Daredevil series on Netflix, and then went on to star in a self-titled spinoff series. His character then went dormant along with the rest of the Defenders until Marvel brought Daredevil and the Punisher back in Daredevil: Born Again earlier this year, officially integrating them into the MCU.
Marvel has also announced that Bernthal is writing a Punisher special, which Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum calls “a shotgun blast of a story.”
Now we know that we’ll see Frank Castle as least twice more in the MCU, as Bernthal has now been cast in the latest Spider-Man sequel. Rumors of his inclusion first surfaced on the The Hot Mic podcast in January, but now the casting seems to be confirmed.
As for what this means for Brand New Day, it suggests that Marvel is focusing on a street-level story this time around. After all, the world has forgotten who Peter Parker is following the events of No Way Home, so Spidey will likely be building himself back up from scratch. And there’s just not much the Punisher could do against a multiversal or galactic threat.
Bernthal will join a cast that features returning stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon, plus newcomers Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) and Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear). Destin Daniel Cretton will direct a script he wrote alongside Chris McKenna.
For now, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.
