Summary
Fans have been waiting for years to see Jon Bernthal’s Punisher finally appear on the big screen. Well, it’s happening as the beloved star is joining the cast ofSpider-Man: Brand New Day.
Production onSpider-Man: Brand New Dayis kicking into high gear, which makes sense if the film is going to hit its scheduled release date of June 10, 2025. Destin Daniel Cretton, director ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to helm the picture, which will seeTom Holland return as Peter Parkerfor his seventh go-around in the Spidey suit. After struggling to get Andrew Garfield’sAmazingSpider-Manfilms off the ground in the early 2010s, Sony teamed with Marvel Studios to bring the web-slinger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To say the move has been a success for both Hollywood titans would be an understatement, considering 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Homebrought in $1.9 billion all by itself. Since joining the MCU in 2016’sCaptain America: Civil War, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has been the surest thing in the franchise outside theAvengersfilms (which he also starred in, as well). If Sony and Marvel have their way,Brand New Daywill continue the wall-crawler’s trend of lighting up the box office.
The Hollywood Reporteris, well, reporting thatJon Bernthal is joining the cast ofSpider-Man: Brand New Dayas the Punisher. Bernthal joins fellow newcomer Sadie Sink, who joined the production back in March in an undisclosed role.Frank Castle isn’t the only MCU character making their return alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, as Zendaya’s Michelle Jones-Watson and Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds are also set to star in some capacity. Given the state of Parker’s world at the end of 2021’sNo Way Home—where every person on the planet forgot who he was thanks to Doctor Strange—it’s anyone’s guess as to how much screentime Zendaya and Batalon will have.
Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Is Returning For More MCU Shenanigans InSpider-Man: Brand New Day
The rumor mill has been churning unrepentantly aboutSpider-Man: Brand New Dayfor months now. There has been speculation that Marvel and Sony were seeking a big-name actress to play a female villain, withNicole Kidman’s name being mentioned. On the flip side, some leaks claimed themain villain of the film would be Mr. Negative, who was also a primary antagonist in the 2018 PS4 video gameMarvel’s Spider-Man.Throw in the rumblings aboutMark Ruffalo’s Hulk also making an appearance, and you’ve got a blended smoothie of internet rumormongering that only the MCU can provide.
Given that both Spider-Man and the Punisher are street-level heroes who reside in New York City, it isn’t all too surprising to see Bernthal’s fan-favorite character show up inBrand New Day. The real question will be if he appears all by himself or if a certain devil-themed vigilante will also be joining him. Fans have been clamoring forSpider-Man to join Daredevil’s anti-Fisk group of heroesalongside Jessica Jones and others forDaredevil: Born Again’s second season. Granted, Tom Holland is an in-demand star with a hefty price tag for his services, so the likelihood of him cameoing in a Disney+ series isn’t all that high, but fans can dream, right?
When push comes to shove, fans should be thrilled to see the Punisher and Spidey together on the big screen inSpider-Man: Brand New Day. Any other cameos will simply be icing on the cake.
