Spider-Man is facing a problem too big for him to handle alone, and the Punisher is bringing considerably more firepower than webs. New footage from “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” revealed Tom Holland’s hero and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle teaming up against Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in a destructive showdown. The movie is also giving Bernthal’s Punisher another major milestone: his first appearance on a Marvel Studios theatrical poster ahead of his big-screen MCU debut.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was discussing the studio’s next December release when Bernthal interrupted to remind him that another Marvel movie was arriving first. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, July 31.
Marvel then played a clip from the film showing Hulk overpowering Spider-Man during an intense confrontation. Just as the green Avenger appears to have the upper hand, grenades fly into the fight. The person responsible is revealed to be Frank Castle, who has arrived to help Spider-Man despite facing an opponent seemingly impervious to ordinary weapons.
“Frank, what are you doing?” Spider-Man asks. “This is above your pay grade. It’s the Hulk!” he warns.
Punisher responds by firing a barrage of bullets, but they have no visible effect on Hulk.
Punisher And Spider-Man Combine Their Fighting Styles
The scene then shows Spider-Man using his webs to pull Castle across the floor in slow motion, creating an opening for the vigilante to continue firing at Hulk from the ground. Spider-Man eventually restrains Hulk with webbing as Punisher throws a small disc toward him. Hulk catches the device and appears unimpressed by the attempted attack. “Are you kidding?” he asks.
Castle then fires at the disc, triggering an explosion that sends Hulk flying backward. Although their first attacks fail, they quickly begin combining their dramatically different fighting styles.
The unlikely partnership also appears to generate some of the film’s comedy, particularly when Spider-Man questions whether Castle genuinely wants to remain in the fight. “Are you just trying to get out of fighting the Hulk?” he asks.
MJ Sent Frank Castle To Protect Spider-Man
After the explosion, Spider-Man and Punisher take cover behind a table and attempt to formulate another plan. The conversation reveals that Castle was originally supposed to be protecting MJ. However, MJ apparently instructed him to protect Spider-Man instead. The detail immediately captures Peter Parker’s attention.
“Did she actually say that?” Spider-Man asks.
“Are you blushing, daffodil?” Punisher responds.
Spider-Man tells Castle that he has a device capable of stopping Hulk. When Frank seemingly suggests doing something else, Peter accuses him of looking for an excuse to avoid continuing the battle. The exchange suggests that “Brand New Day” will balance its larger superhero conflict with the banter created by Spider-Man and Punisher’s mismatched personalities. It also provides a clue about Peter and MJ’s relationship, as Peter appears intrigued that she remains concerned about his safety.
Punisher Lands On His First Marvel Studios Movie Poster
Marvel Studios also released a new “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” poster created for the Chinese market. The artwork gives Bernthal’s Punisher a prominent position, marking the first time the character has appeared on a Marvel Studios theatrical movie poster.
Bernthal received fifth billing for the fourth “Spider-Man” installment, indicating that Castle could play a substantial role rather than making a brief appearance. His inclusion in a Spider-Man film also reflects the character’s comic-book beginnings. Punisher was first introduced in 1974’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” No. 129.
Although Castle has built a long live-action history since then, “Brand New Day” marks Bernthal’s first opportunity to portray him in a theatrical MCU movie.
Jon Bernthal Has Played Punisher For More Than A Decade
Bernthal first wore Punisher’s signature skull during the second season of “Daredevil.” His performance led to a two-season Netflix spin-off centered on Castle. The series was canceled in 2019, beginning a six-year absence for the character.
Punisher eventually returned during the first season of “Daredevil: Born Again,” appearing in Episode 4, “Sic Semper Systema,” and Episode 9, “Straight to Hell.” He joined forces with Daredevil during the TV-MA Disney+ series. Bernthal was absent from the second season and its final confrontation with Kingpin because of other MCU filming obligations.
Those projects included “The Punisher: One Last Kill,” a special released on Disney+ in May. At under one hour, the project was the closest Bernthal’s version of Castle had come to leading a Marvel Studios movie before “Brand New Day.”
Frank Castle Has A Long History On The Big Screen
Other actors portrayed the vigilante in theatrical projects before Bernthal joined the MCU. Dolph Lundgren played Castle in 1989’s “The Punisher,” which was released theatrically overseas and directly to video in the United States. Thomas Jane took over the role for the 2004 reboot and later returned in the 2012 fan-made short “The Punisher: Dirty Laundry.”
After plans for an official sequel were abandoned, Ray Stevenson played Castle in another reboot, “Punisher: War Zone.” Now, Bernthal will bring his version of Punisher to theaters alongside Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Ruffalo, and Tramell Tillman.
