When superhero cinema first started, fans spent decades watching stand-alone projects featuring a single hero or, in rare cases, a group of them that belonged to the same franchise. Movies such as X-Men and Fantastic Four (2005) were the closest we got to seeing different characters interact with each other on the big screen, and even then, they were far from being proper crossovers. However, that all changed when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was launched and the Avengers assembled for the very first time in live-action.
Now, the big team-ups are the heart and soul of the MCU, and they have become more common in recent years. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was all about Stephen Strange attempting to stop the Scarlet Witch's merciless killing spree, while also crossing paths with characters such as the Illuminati along the way. Furthermore, Thor: Ragnarok gave us the biggest battle between Thor and Hulk yet, and The Marvels united Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau in a single project. Fortunately, the best is yet to come.
2026 will be a huge year for the MCU. Avengers: Doomsday will assemble Earth's Mightiest Heroes once again after a long hiatus, and they will finally get to meet the X-Men. Furthermore, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature the appearances of iconic anti-heroes such as Punisher, Hulk, and even Yelena Belova if rumors are to be believed. Now, details about the first-ever interaction between two of these characters have been unveiled, and it's exactly what fans could've hoped for.
Spider-Man and Punisher will reportedly 'hate each other' in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
According to scooper That REDACTED Guy, Peter Parker and Frank Castle will hate each other once they get to cross paths in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. There will be "no friendship" between the two iconic characters, as they will fight against each other multiple times throughout the movie. We will get the chance to see them reluctantly team up, but only because desperate times call for desperate measures.
Peter is willing to do anything to save a life, even if it's that of his most dreadful enemy. We've seen him toy with the idea of killing during the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, but he fortunately never got to cross that line due to the guidance of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Peter Parkers. Furthermore, he rescued The Vulture at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming and went the extra mile to ensure the multiversal versions of Electro, Doctor Octopus, and more, wouldn't return to their home universes just to die. There's no denying it: Peter is as good as superheroes get.
On the other side, Frank Castle isn't afraid to permanently take a life when the situation calls it for. Granted, he won't senselessly kill anyone just for the sake of it. But when it comes to his villains, Punisher makes sure they won't simply go to jail and be set free a few months afterwards. This ideology clash between the anti-hero and Peter Parker is surely to make for an interesting moral dilema that's worth exploring in depth.
One of the most memorable sequences of Netflix's Daredevil is when Matt Murdock and Frank Castle discussed their different ways of viewing the world and dealing with bad guys in Season 2. It was one of the biggest confrontations of the series as a whole despite not featuring kicks, punches, or any gunshots. There's a chance audiences see a similar conflict during the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (featuring Peter instead of Matt), and hopefully the results will be just as good. Now, the only question remaining is: why would Spider-Man and Punisher need to team up, despite hating each other?
A report revealed that Savage Hulk will make his live-action debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It's worth noting that this is the most violent and relentless version of the Green Goliath in comic book pages, so chances are he'll be just as merciless on the big screen. Apparently, an unknown villain will use Savage Hulk as a means to keep Spidey and Punisher distracted, hence why the two characters will need to team up even if they won't get along in the slightest.
After the dust is settled and Savage Hulk is contained, it will be interesting to learn what will happen to Punisher's character. Will he manage to escape the wall-crawler? Or will the anti-hero be brought to justice courtesy of Peter Parker? Well, there's only one way to find out.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on Jul. 31, 2026.