Marvel potentially introducing [SPOILER]'s successor in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

There seems to be more news than normal coming from the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. For example, photos and videos of Tom Holland in action as Spider-Man have popped up all over the internet ever since production began in Glasgow last month. That's normal considering that the movie is filming out in the open. However, what was unexpected were the reports of other Marvel Cinematic Universe characters like the Hulk and Punisher being part of the movie.

It has indeed been confirmed that Mark Ruffalo will be reprising his role as Bruce Banner / Hulk in the film while Jon Bernthal will indeed be bringing Frank Castle back after his return to screens in Daredevil: Born Again. There are also reports that Thunderbolts*' Florence Pugh will be back as Yelena Belova in the film too. And now, it seems that another Marvel character could be involved.

Speaking of Frank Castle, it sounds like he might be getting some assistance in the film. According to renowned scooper MyTimeToShineHello, The Punisher may have a female partner in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If this is true, Marvel Studios could introduce an interesting character named Rachel Cole-Alves.

Rachel Cole-Alves' Marvel history explained

Legacy heroes tend to have origins similar to their predecessors. Laura Kinney went through a process like Logan did in Weapon X. Another example is Miles Morales getting his powers after he was bitten by a spider. Sadly, becoming The Punisher comes with a tragedy.

In the lore written by Garth Ennis in Punisher: Born, Frank Castle became The Punisher after making a deal with a supernatural being to keep his war going. During Jason Aaron’s run, readers learn that the agreement was made with Ares. Sadly, there was a cost. Frank’s wife and children had to die. This way, nothing would hold him back.

"It was war that made you all those years ago. And I am War."

Ares written by Jason Aaron

In the case of Rachel Cole-Alves, her husband and most of their family were killed by a gang shooting. What's more devastating is that this happened during her wedding. This resembles Frank’s tragedy because her loved ones weren't the target. They just happened to be in the way. 

Eventually, Rachel Cole-Alves learns who was behind the slaughter of her family and goes after them. This puts her directly in the path of Frank Castle because he's also looking for someone involved with that, too. After some convincing, Frank agrees to help Rachel with her mission and train her to do what he does.

For more on this story, read Greg Rucka's three volumes of The Punisher that starts in 2011.

• Writer: Greg Rucka
• Artists: Marco Checchetto
• Colors: Matt Hollingsworth

Could Rachel Cole-Alves' introduction work in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

There’s a chance that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could adapt a story like Rachel Cole-Alves' in the Punisher special coming out in 2026 on Disney+. If this special were to be released before Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it would save the time of explaining who the character is and why she’s working with Frank if she were to show up in Spidey's next adventure. Even if she doesn’t become Frank’s teammate in the Special, the murder of Cole-Alves' family could be part of the story, leading to her working with The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and potentially in season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. Considering everything going on in New York with Mayor Wilson Fisk, Daredevil and The Punisher will need all the help they can get.

The only negative is how Punisher fans will react to seeing Rachel Cole-Alves. Some may take issue with the fact that Frank has a partner, but they shouldn't. Anyone who’s read the source material knows that she’s a badass just like Frank. And, since he passed the torch to her, they should accept that another Punisher is working with the original.

For now, all anyone can do is speculate on who this woman is working with Frank, and if the rumors are true. When more is revealed, Bam Smack Pow will be here to report it.