Jon Bernthal as Punisher in Spider-Man 4: Brand New Day
Bernthal joins a star-studded cast including Tom Holland, Zendaya and Sadie Sink
The Punisher is returning to the big screen! As the industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter has learned, Jon Bernthal will be seen in "Spider Man: Brand New Day".
"Brand New Day" is the fourth film in the "Spider-Man" series with Tom Holland as Peter Parker. It will be Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle's first appearance in a Marvel film. Bernthal first portrayed the Punisher in the second season of the popular "Daredevil" series. He was then given his own series, "Marvel's The Punisher", which only lasted two seasons.
At the beginning of 2025, the Punisher celebrated his comeback in "Daredevil: Born Again". Now he will finally be seen in the movies. Charlie Cox's Daredevil has a similar story. Matt Murdock also paid Peter Parker a visit in "Spider-Man: No Way Home".
It remains to be seen whether Bernthal's role will be limited to a cameo appearance like Cox's or whether he will play a larger part. We can also speculate about how the Punisher's appearance might affect "Brand New Day". After all, the character Frank Castle and the "Punisher" series are among the darkest and bloodiest representatives of the Marvel universe.
In addition to his role as the Punisher, Bernthal is also known from "The Accountant" films, Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Baby Driver". Series fans know the actor primarily from the zombie hit "The Walking Dead" and most recently from the acclaimed series "The Bear". Bernthal will also soon be seen alongside Tom Holland in Christopher Nolan's action epic "The Odyssey".
Cast and start date of Spider-Man 4
In addition to Bernthal and Holland, the cast of "Spider-Man 4" will of course once again include superstar Zendaya as MJ. Jacob Batalon is also back as Ned. New to the cast are "Stranger Things" star Sadie Sink and "The Bear" actress Liza Colón-Zayas. According to sources from the portal Nexus Point News, Mark Ruffalo is also set to appear as the Hulk. Ruffalo's role could therefore go beyond a cameo appearance. It would certainly be interesting if the Punisher were to cross paths with the Hulk.
The new "Spider-Man" film will be directed by "Shang-Shi" director Destin Daniel Cretton. A release date for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is already known. The film is due to be released in cinemas on July 31, 2026.
Where can you stream the "Spider-Man" films and "The Punisher"?
You can stream "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home" on Disney Plus. There you'll also find Bernthal's appearances as Frank Castle in "Daredevil" and "The Punisher".
Punisher Special
But even with his appearance in "Brand New Day", Jon Bernthal is not yet finished with Frank Castle. A so-called Marvel Special on the character is currently in development for Disney+. But what exactly does that mean? According to Entertainment Weekly, the upcoming "Punisher Special" is similar in style to formats such as the "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" or "Werewolf by Night". Both projects are short films with a running time of just under an hour. The "Punisher Special" could also go in this direction.
Marvel series boss Brad Winderbaum describes the plot as exciting and with "all the emotion you want out of a Frank Castle story". Reinaldo Marcus Green, who previously worked with Jon Bernthal on the HBO series "We Own This City", will direct. Green will also co-write the screenplay with Bernthal.
The Punisher's previous cinema appearances
The anti-hero Frank Castle has already appeared in the movies several times – with rather mixed success. In 1989, a "Punisher" film was released with Dolph Lundgren in the leading role. A new edition with Thomas Jane followed in 2004. In 2008, a third attempt was made with "Punisher: War Zone", this time with Ray Stevenson in the title role.
Another "Spider-Man" movie
"Brand New Day" is not the only "Spider-Man" film that awaits us in the coming years. Fans can also look forward to the grand finale of the popular "Spider-Verse" series. "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" is due to be released in cinemas on June 4, 2027. You can find out all the other details in our current and comprehensive movie preview!
