With the overwhelmingly positive release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it felt like nothing could ever top watching the wall-crawler teaming up with his two multiversal variants to fight the Sinister Five. However, by some act of magic, director Destin Daniel Cretton is pulling off the impossible. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of the most anticipated superhero projects of 2026, standing its ground against other juggernauts like Avengers: Doomsday. That's, for the most part, due to the movie's ambitious scope.
Don't get us wrong; Spider-Man: Brand New Day will, by all means, be street-level. However, it is set to feature many iconic villains such as Scorpion and Tombstone, and potentially even The Hand. Furthermore, no shortage of Marvel Cinematic Universe characters will show up at the party, too. Hulk's involvement has been officially confirmed, and rumor has it that Yelena Belova is going to make a brief cameo. However, there's one specific anti-hero that everyone has been waiting to see on the big screen, and it is none other than Frank Castle himself.
The Punisher is set to leave a mark in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but just how violent will it be? Fans have been worried that Frank will be heavily toned down to fit a PG-13 rating, up to the point where his character will be unrecognizable. Fortunately, it appears that won't be the case.
Jon Bernthal confirms the Punisher's portrayal in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feel consistent with other appearances
Jon Bernthal is very passionate about portraying the Punisher; so much so that he originally stepped away from Daredevil: Born Again before the creative reboot, as he didn't connect with that version of the character. So, when he reveals that it has been his priority to ensure that the Punisher's portrayal remains consistent across multiple projects, then we can rest assured the anti-hero's future is in safe hands.
During an interview with Screen Rant, Jon Bernthal assured audiences that the Punisher we'll see in his upcoming Disney+ Special Presentation will be the same that's set to jump onto the big screen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day: "There will also be this Punisher special that's coming out, that I think will be as high-octane Punisher as you've ever seen. I think what was really important to me and to Destin and to Tom is that we believed that The Punisher could walk off of the Spider-Man set and could walk onto the special set, and I do believe that we achieved that."
Granted, there will be a certain degree of compromise. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is extremely unlikely to be rated R, meaning Punisher won't be as violent or bloody as he is on the small screen. However, the key remains in that his character's motivations, temper, and abilities remain consistent with previous appearances.
It's been reported that Spider-Man and Frank Castle will despise each other in Brand New Day. They will form an unlikely alliance only because an extremely dire situation demands it. Otherwise, rumor has it that they will even fight each other. If true, it would mark a big step in ensuring that the Punisher's character feels as dark and unhinged as in Daredevil: Born Again and the Netflix adaptation before it. If Peter Parker can't stand by the anti-hero's ideals, then director Destin Daniel Cretton will have accomplished his mission.
Just because Frank Castle won't spill as much blood as on the small screen doesn't mean he can't be just as relentless, angry, and prone to getting into fights where he doesn't belong. With a bit of luck, The Punisher Special Presentation and Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be two faces of the same coin, and they will both do justice to their titular characters.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on Jul. 31, 2026.