Our first look at Spider-Man and the Punisher interacting in Spider-Man: Brand New Day makes one major theory about the MCU movie seem more likely than ever. While both are major Marvel vigilantes, the Punisher and Spider-Man have had very different arcs in the MCU timeline, and are possibly two of the franchise’s most contrasting protagonists subsequently in many regards.
Understandably, this has only exacerbated excitement about the news that the Punisher will play a part in the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, since the differences between the two characters are sure to make their on-screen dynamic a fascinating one. Promisingly, the latest snippets to emerge about the movie certainly support this idea.
Our First Look At Spider-Man & The Punisher In Spider-Man: Brand New Day Makes A Major Theory About The Movie Seem Inevitable
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker wallcrawls up a ferry in Spider-Man Homecoming
New set photos have provided the first glance at the Punisher’s interactions with the Marvel’s web-swinging hero in the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While it’s not fully clear when in the movie this interaction will happen, this does appear to suggest that the duo will be in some form of conflict at some stage in the film, given Frank Castle is shown seemingly pointing a gun towards Spider-Man while the latter hero balances on the truck he’s driving.
Even if this turns out to be a misunderstanding of sorts, the sequence still looks to put the pair in conflict, given that it seems unlikely based on his entire characterization thus far that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man would be willing to let Frank Castle shoot and kill people – and it seems equally unlikely that the Punisher will listen if Spider-Man tries to dissuade him.
As such, this early sneak peek underscores the theory that Spider-Man and the Punisher will clash throughout the proceedings of the movie – both setting up some more tension for the events of the fourth MCU Spider-Man film, and ensuring the duo’s dynamic mirrors the one found in many of their comic stories.
The Punisher’s MCU History Means It’s Almost Impossible For Him & Spider-Man To Not Have Conflict
MCU’s Punisher played by Jon Bernthal standing in a warehouse.
Prior to the release of Daredevil: Born Again, it was unclear whether the MCU would keep Jon Bernthal’s Punisher as a part of the universe, or if the franchise might introduce its own take on Frank Castle to avoid keeping the antihero’s blood-soaked history as shown in Marvel’s Netflix shows. However, Born Again confirmed Bernthal would be keeping the role, and that the franchise would maintain his show history as part of its own.
Ultimately, this does mean it’s almost unimaginable for the Punisher and Spider-Man to not have some form of conflict. The MCU’s Punisher is notably violent in a way that goes entirely against the way Spider-Man operates, and a core element of Castle’s character in the universe is the fact that his methods put him at odds with the majority of Marvel’s other vigilantes.
With Daredevil: Born Again season 2 set to release not long before Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it will be interesting to see if the Punisher’s story gets another update in the show before he returns in the 2026 film itself – and interesting to see whether the Punisher’s approach to dealing with his enemies is shown to escalate in the build-up to his MCU movie debut.