Jon Bernthal is back as Frank Castle in the MCU, and this time he’s gunning for Daredevil. He’s going after Spider-Man. The actor recently confirmed to a TikTok creator at last month’s Washington State Summer Con that he’s officially returning as The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In a TikTok video posted by @509_big_nate, we see Bernthal humbly shaking the fan’s hand as he’s congratulated. “I just want to say congrats on the role for the new Spider-Man movie as Punisher,” the fan says. Bernthal nods and smirks. “Thank you,” he replies softly. When asked if he might reference The Amazing Spider-Man #129, the comic where Punisher made his first appearance, in the new movie, Bernthal says, “I hope so,” before nodding again. It’s a short exchange, but it says a lot.
If you’re a fan, you’ll probably know that Frank Castle made his debut in that comic book way back in 1974, which makes this team-up between Bernthal’s Punisher and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man long overdue. But if you’re hoping for an unfiltered, rage-fueled Punisher, you might want to temper those expectations a little. Marvel obviously has to find a clever way to balance Castle’s brutal methods with Holland’s family-friendly Spidey. Nobody wants a watered-down Punisher, but Marvel isn’t exactly going to drop bloody R-rated shootouts into a Spider-Man flick either. Those films are generally watched by kids, too.
The “Brand New Day” title hints at a fresh start for Peter, which lines up with the comic arc of the same name. Expect him juggling a new job at the Daily Bugle, possible run-ins with Dr. Otto Octavius, and life without MJ or Ned. Spider-Man’s solo now, and Frank Castle might just be the unlikely “side character” to fill the gap, though probably not in the buddy-comedy way you’d expect. In other words, it probably won’t be Wolverine & Deadpool – although it might start out similar, with Punisher attempting to kill Spider-Man.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #129, Punisher sees him as a crook and hunts him down after he is hired by The Jackal to kill Spider-Man. But after two battles, Spider-Man manages to convince Castle that he isn’t a bad guy. Could this be what Bernthal was referring to in the TikTok interview?
The film, directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Destin Daniel Cretton, is (for now) scheduled for July 26, 2026. But if you’re already marking your calendar, don’t grab the permanent marker just yet. Marvel’s Phase 6 schedule is shifting like wet sand. Avengers: Doomsday just moved to December 18, 2026, and Secret Wars pushed to December 17, 2027. Industry insider Daniel Richtman even teased on X: “There’s a good chance Spider-Man will get pushed as well, question is if it would still release before Doomsday or after.”
But for now, you’ve got Jon Bernthal back in the MCU, a gritty Punisher special coming to Disney+ (co-written with Reinaldo Marcus Green, who’s also directing), and the long-awaited face-off (okay, team-up) between Spider-Man and Punisher. That’s enough to keep you talking until Marvel figures out its calendar.
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