New Confirmed ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Character Reveal Hints at the Grounded Story Fans Have Been Waiting For

Jon Bernthal is officially stepping into the big-screen Marvel world, teaming up with Tom Holland for the next Spider-Man movie called Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This info comes from a report first shared by The Hollywood Reporter.

Bernthal is known for playing Frank Castle, also called the Punisher, in several Marvel shows on Netflix. He even had his own series that lasted two seasons. Now, instead of staying on the small screen, he’s joining the Marvel movie universe.

The movie is set to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and will begin filming in England during the summer. Fans can expect it to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

Not a lot is known about what the movie is really about yet. There are rumors flying around online about possible villains. Some reports are saying there could be everything from Green Goblin, Hobgoblin, Knull, Vulture, Scorpion, and even a few versions of the Hulk. What we do know is that Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are coming back to play MJ and Ned. It’s not clear how much they’ll be in the movie this time. Sadie Sink, known for Stranger Things, is also joining the cast.

The story continues after Spider-Man: No Way Home, where the world had learned that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, but by the end of that movie, everyone forgot.

Having the Punisher involved hints that this movie might get a bit darker or more grounded. The Punisher is a gritty character who usually sticks to street-level action and prefers guns, fists, and knives over high-tech gear or magic.

That said, the idea of him possibly facing off with a Hulk sounds wild, and maybe a little fun too.

Bernthal’s history with Marvel started when he showed up as Frank Castle in the Daredevil series on Netflix. That performance was so well-received that he got his own show. Recently, he made a return in Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.

He’s expected to be back for season two of that show and is also co-writing a new Punisher movie for Disney+. He made it clear that if he was going to return to the role, it needed to keep its intense and violent tone. “That was the one thing I couldn’t compromise on,” Bernthal said in earlier interviews.

This could be tricky, though. Spider-Man movies tend to be lighter and fun, while the Punisher is known for being brutal. How the filmmakers balance that will be something fans are watching closely.

There’s a fun backstory between Bernthal and Holland, too. The two worked together on the movie Pilgrimage back in 2017. While filming that, they were both trying to land roles in the Marvel universe. “We actually helped each other film our audition tapes,” Bernthal shared once in an interview.

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