Back in 2019, it seemed up in the air whether we’d ever see Jon Bernthal’s Punisher again, given the cancellation of all Netflix series and the absence of his character going forward. Now, he’s everywhere.
It’s now been confirmed that Bernthal’s Punisher will be coming to, of all places, the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth film in the series. It’s the unusual blending of the most brutal, R-rated antihero in the MCU with one of its most family-friendly offerings in Spider-Man, raising questions about what’s going on here. Yes, the two have paired up many times in the comics, but this is certainly the highest-profile instance of that ever now.
There’s one aspect of this that’s also a bit eyebrow-raising. The rumors that The Punisher was joining Spider-Man in his film is an old one, going all the way back to January. But now in late May, insider Jeff Sneider and John Rocha discussed the report again, saying that trustworthy sources said that the plan was for The Punisher was to join forces with Spider-Man to fight against The Hulk.
Yes, The Hulk, former Avenger, and with the last time we saw him being the “smart” version training his cousin She-Hulk in the ways of Hulkdom, also revealing that he had a son out of nowhere, and his mini-plotline seemed to be leading to some sort of upcoming comic-based Planet Hulk/World War Hulk storyline that never materialized.
This is, of course, not that. We have no idea what would have transformed chill Banner Hulk into some sort of monstrous Savage Hulk, another version. This is also in the wake of Captain America: Brave New World having Red Hulk as its antagonist (a film that almost felt like a Hulk sequel that did not contain Hulk). So, if the Punisher part of the rumor is true, the question is whether or not the rest of it is, and Hulk really may be the big bad in Spider-Man 4.
The news also comes with the confirmation that Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are reportedly back as MJ and Ned in some capacity, despite the ending, which hinted the series was moving on from them. The other high-profile casting is Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink in an unknown role that most guess is either “real” MJ, Mary Jane, or perhaps Gwen Stacy.
Bernthal went from nowhere in the MCU to one of its most prolific stars. He will be in both seasons of Daredevil: Born Again, he’s starring in his own “special” on Disney Plus later. Now he’s in Spider-Man.
Tom Holland and Bernthal have a long history. They helped each other audition for their respective roles way back then, and currently, they’re starring in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey together. Now, this is going to be one hell of a team-up.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
