Jon Bernthal May Have Just Spoiled How One Major Daredevil Character Returns in Brand New Day

Jon Bernthal may have just spoiled how one major Daredevil character returns in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Bernthal plays Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher, in the upcoming Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures film, a role he first took on in Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil before reprising it in Daredevil: Born Again. Both studios kept the plot of Peter Parker’s fourth solo movie tightly under wraps, but the actor’s latest interview may have let one of its secrets out early.

Speaking to Noovie alongside Tom Holland, Bernthal casually mentioned a scene in which Frank Castle wakes up while Peter Parker recovers in a hospital. That small detail points straight at an earlier scoop from insider Daniel Richtman, who reported that Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple returns in Brand New Day. Richtman claimed that the nurse who patched up vigilantes across Marvel’s Netflix shows treats a badly injured Peter after the Punisher brings him in. If Claire is back in Brand New Day, a hospital is the most obvious place fans will find her.

The comment slipped out when host Perri Nemiroff asked the pair which is harder to act: laughing on cue or waking up on cue. Bernthal recalled a recent ADR session for the film and admitted the scene is "great," though his own wake-up was "no bueno:"

"It’s so funny cuz I just did ADR, and I got the scene of me waking up when you’re in the hospital. I’m like, 'What is going on with that?' It was so bad. 'Why am I waking up like that?'You know what I did? I really went to sleep. The scene is great. The wake up? No bueno."

Holland quickly defended his co-star’s performance, telling him, "I genuinely watched the movie and went, 'That’s a great take.'" The interesting part of Bernthal's statement is the setting. The actor directed the line at Holland, meaning Peter is the one lying in that hospital while Frank presumably sleeps at his side. 

This is in line with Ritchman's claim, and there's a chance Claire appears at the hospital referenced here. Dawson’s Claire debuted in Daredevil Season 1 as the nurse who stitched up Matt Murdock after his nightly beatings, and she went on to appear in Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders before her final bow in Luke Cage Season 2. 

Her comic book counterpart works as the go-to medic for New York’s masked heroes, a role the movie now seems ready to hand her on the big screen. Should the report play out, the film could also recreate a famous panel from Marvel’s 2006 Civil War comic, in which the Punisher cradles a wounded Spider-Man while screaming for a medic.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up four years after Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter keeping New York safe while the world remains unaware of who he is. Destin Daniel Cretton directs from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Holland stars alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Michael Mando’s Scorpion, and Marvin Jones III’s Tombstone. The movie swings into theaters on Friday, July 31. 

Will Other Marvel Netflix Characters Appear in Brand New Day?

Aside from Claire Temple, the Netflix-era character fans expect to make an appearance in Brand New Day is Daredevil himself. The Hand, the ancient ninja cult Matt Murdock fought on Netflix, serves as one of the film’s main threats, and the trailer even shows Spider-Man inside a prison battling them. With the Hand terrorizing New York again, fans expect Daredevil to show up. However, Matt will likely begin Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 behind bars, which makes a Brand New Day appearance a bit tricky. Insider reports also claim that he will not appear in the film. However, a brief cameo from the Hell's Kitchen vigilante could still happen in one way or another.

The rest of the Defenders are headed for television and are unlikely to appear in the film. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones already resurfaced in Born Again Season 2, and set photos from New York confirmed Mike Colter’s Luke Cage and Finn Jones' Iron Fist for Season 3. Between Hulk, Scorpion, Tombstone, and Sadie Sink’s mystery character, Brand New Day barely has room left for its confirmed roster, let alone more heroes from the Netflix era.

The one possible wildcard, though, is Elektra. Elodie Yung recently appeared in Born Again Season 3 set photos and videos, and The Hand, the organization behind her death and revival in the Netflix era, is central to the conflict of Brand New Day. With her strong ties to the organization, it won’t be the biggest surprise if she makes a brief cameo.