The chances of Jon Bernthal's Punisher appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day look to be growing stronger after recent reports. The Punisher already has a big year ahead in 2026 as he will be back in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. Having had a two-season Netflix show, Punisher will also be going solo once again in 2026 with a Disney+ Special Presentation that will be co-written by Bernthal.
Recent reports that Mark Ruffalo's Hulk will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day may lend credence to earlier rumors that Jon Bernthal's Punisher will also be back for the 2026 blockbuster. This would leave Spider-Man 4 with two familiar MCU icons tagging along with Tom Holland's Peter Parker, while also serving as the big-screen debut for Bernthal's grizzled anti-hero.
Amid a string of crazy Spider-Man 4 plot and casting rumors, one from John Rocha on The Hot Mic in January stood out as one of the weirdest.
On the podcast with Jeff Sneider, Rocha stated he had heard from a "very strong source in the business" that Spider-Man 4 plans had the wall-crawler fighting the Hulk with the Punisher. These plans supposedly came as Marvel Studios sought to move away from Smart Hulk in favor of a more Savage Hulk in the MCU.
These claims were initially dismissed by many as ridiculous but got more interesting recently when Nexus Point News exclusively reported that Mark Ruffalo will have a "substantive" role as Bruce Banner, aka Hulk, in Spider-Man 4.
Furthermore, Josh from Den of Nerds claimed on X that he had heard Hulk would be the villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day from two sources.
With Hulk's appearance in Spider-Man 4 becoming more likely, that may lend credence to Rocha's earlier claim that Jon Bernthal's Punisher may appear, too. Of course, this is all rumors at this time, and plans may have changed, but it certainly makes it seem more likely that Punisher will feature in Brand New Day.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is gearing up to start filming this summer ahead of a July 31, 2026, debut (which will break a major release record for Marvel Studios).
The cast of Spider-Man 4 so far includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and, reportedly, Mark Ruffalo. More announcements are expected in the coming weeks and months as Brand New Day builds out its supporting and villain cast.
Could The Punisher Be Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Villain?
Speculation has been running rampant on who will be the villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with rumors pointing toward a historic female antagonist.
There have also been reports of a second main villain joining this mysterious female threat, which will reportedly be Marlin Li, aka Mr. Negative, who most famously featured in Insomnaic's Spider-Man game.
Just as Peter Parker fought Doctor Strange in No Way Home, a face-off between Spider-Man and Hulk may merely be a component of Brand New Day. One of these mystery baddies may bring Bruce Banner's rageful identity back to the forefront, setting up a fight with Spider-Man before an eventual team-up.
If Spider-Man does require some help fighting the Hulk, Jon Bernthal's Punisher would certainly be an interesting choice. The character has only been portrayed in an R-rated setting so far in the MCU, but the violence, language, and brutality could be reduced, making him more of a PG-13 action hero.
The Punisher certainly isn't the street-level hero most were hoping to see in Spider-Man 4, as fans have been begging for a team-up with Charlie Cox's Daredevil. But perhaps his commitment to Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 left Punisher as the next-best choice for a big-screen team-up.
Beyond adding to that street-level vibe that fans are hoping to see in Spider-Man 4, Punisher could bring something unique into the mix. Peter Parker and Frank Castle have very different standpoints and values when it comes to taking down the bad guys, which could juxtapose nicely in Brand New Day.
