It's hard to find a crossover more anticipated than Punisher's appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day this summer, and a new image has confirmed that Frank Castle and Peter Parker will work side by side. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Marvel Studios' next major release starring Tom Holland as the iconic web-slinger. However, this time, Spider-Man is interacting with more of the MCU's New York-based heroes, including Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle.
The meeting of Peter Parker and Frank Castle might seem like an unlikely one, particularly given the two heroes' different approaches to fighting crime. Spider-Man is a cheerful, family-friendly hero who wouldn't hurt a fly; meanwhile, the Punisher is a brooding, swearing, gun-slinging vigilante whose first resort is violence. Nevertheless, the two come together in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and a new image in Empire has confirmed the two will team up.
In the image, Spider-Man is seen running alongside the Punisher as Castle fires at enemies with his automatic rifle. It's not clear what the scenario is, but the Punisher appears to be leading the charge with his "shoot first" approach, while Spider-Man seems to be, maybe reluctantly, following behind him.
Spider-Man and Punisher were seen at odds in the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with the web-slinger being hit in the road by Castle's vehicle. The two banter, with Castle telling Parker to "quit your whimpering" before aiming a gun at him, which Spider-Man webs shut. Frank shoots him anyway, so Spider-Man retaliates and kicks the Punisher out of his vehicle, telling him to "go home."
It's not clear when Spider-Man and Punisher became acquainted in the four years between Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but the pair appear to have a tenuous relationship. Spider-Man clearly disapproves of Castle's gun-toting ways, and appears hesitant about Frank opening fire on their enemies in this first team-up shot.
Bernthal further defined the pair's relationship in the movie, saying that Punisher "[is] not looking for a friend." Although the actor added that Frank might quietly "care about Peter."
"Frank Castle is perfectly at peace in a world of absolute darkness. He’s not looking for a buddy, he’s not looking for a friend, he’s not looking for a hand to pull him out of the hole that he’s in. He’s fine living in there. In fact, all he wants to do is dig deeper.
I think, begrudgingly, Frank would tell you, if he had to be honest, he does care about Peter."
Holland revealed in an interview with the Empire State Building blog earlier this year that the relationship between Punisher and Spider-Man has evolved throughout shooting, confirming it is now "this big brother little brother rivalry:"
"It started as this relationship of two people that really kind of hate each other. And then as we started improvising, it became this big brother-little brother rivalry. It might be my favorite dynamic that I've ever seen with Spider-Man."
This dynamic emulates much of what Spider-Man and the Punisher are known for in their various comic team-ups. Castle is very much a lone wolf who likes to do things his way, while Spider-Man is more popular with the public and follows the standard "no-kill" superhero rule. When the pair do team up, it's often because they have no other choice, and it seems the same may happen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as the pair may need to unite to fight the various Marvel villains that are descending upon the city.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31, 2026. The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, stars Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and Jacob Batalon.
What to Expect From Spider-Man and Punisher's Movie Team-Up
Now that the stage has been set and the dynamic between Spider-Man and Punisher outlined, the question remains: what brings these two opposing forces together?
Clearly, both heroes operate in New York City, meaning they're bound to run into each other every now and again, particularly after the violent massacre that erupted in The Punisher: One Last Kill (which takes place before Brand New Day). Castle will seemingly still be in a war against Ma Gnucci at this time, although the appearance of villains like The Hand may take priority in this case, causing Spidey and Punisher to team up to protect their streets.
While Frank Castle is one of the most brutal characters in Marvel's roster, his one weakness has been shown time and time again to stem from the trauma of losing his wife and children, which leads him to protect the innocent in need, particularly young kids and teens. It's possible that Spider-Man's young adult energy is endearing to Frank, and therefore, while he may be annoyed by Spider-Man interfering in his plans, he would never do anything to hurt him.
