SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Could Adapt a Classic Spider-Man vs. Punisher Storyline
Marvel studios is set to shake things up with Spider-Man: Brand New Day with the inclusion of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. It was a welcome surprise to learn that he’s stepping into Peter Parker’s world.
A blood-soaked vigilante known for body counts, torture, and military-grade takedowns… teaming up (or clashing) with the MCU’s most cheerful do-gooder who still gets carded buying glue? There’s a interesting dynamic here to play with!
It’s also a tonal tightrope. The Punisher, especially in Bernthal’s hands, isn’t just violent, he’s R-rated level brutal. Meanwhile, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man lives in a PG-13 sandbox, cracking jokes with fun and playful action. Merging these two sensibilities without neutering one or alienating fans of the other is going to take serious finesse.
This isn’t new territory, though. In fact, the origin of their comic book relationship may be the perfect guide for how Marvel Studios could pull this off.
Back in 1974, Frank Castle made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #129. Created by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr., and Ross Andru, Castle wasn’t the antihero we know today. He was introduced as a straight-up antagonist, a guy manipulated by the Jackal into believing Spider-Man had murdered Norman Osborn.
Castle, a battle-hardened Marine out for vengeance, did what he does best… hunted his target with no questions asked.
It was a classic setup that centered on a lethal, no-nonsense soldier going after a hero known for holding back and giving people the benefit of the doubt. The tension didn’t just come from their awesome fight scenes; it came from their opposing worldviews.
Ultimately, after plenty of punches and bullets, Spider-Man convinced Castle he’d been lied to. They walked away not as friends, but with a complicated mutual respect. That’s the spark Brand New Day could reignite.
In the MCU, Peter has the physical edge with his enhanced strength, Spider-Sense, web-shooters, the works. But Frank Castle isn’t the kind of guy you beat just by punching harder. He fights dirty. He’s relentless. And unlike Peter, he’s not burdened by a no-kill rule.
That kind of dynamic sets the stage for a conflict that could challenge Peter morally more than physically, maybe even forcing him to defend people he’d normally fight just to stop Frank from going too far.
Spider-Man’s been due for a more grounded, street-level story, and Brand New Day could finally deliver that. Especially considering where we last left Castle, breaking out of the prison Fisk tossed him into, and what’s brewing in Daredevil: Born Again, where Wilson Fisk is cracking down on vigilantes and practically declaring war on masked heroes. If Spider-Man is out there dodging cops while Punisher’s hunting criminals, they’re bound to cross paths.
There’s also talk of a standalone Punisher special dropping before Brand New Day, which could lay the groundwork for his reentry into the MCU and explain how he ends up in Spidey’s orbit.
If Marvel leans into the tension between these two characters, not just as combatants but as symbols of clashing ideologies, Brand New Day could be more than just another Spidey sequel. It could be a return to the kind of morally complex storytelling that helped make these characters iconic in the first place.
