New Spider-Man 4 set photos revealed a major power upgrade on the way for Jon Bernthal's Punisher. After playing the skull-cracking anti-hero in the Netflix (now Disney+) Daredevil franchise, Bernthal will bring his character to the big screen for the first time in next year's Tom Holland-led Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In the new film, the Punisher will contend with Holland's 20-something wall-crawler in the web head's first post-high school MCU adventure.
With production ongoing on the new web-slinging effort, fans have been treated to dozens of images from the Brand New Day set. These have included looks at Holland's new Spider-Man costume, sneak peeks at the movie's epic action, and (most recently) a glimpse at the Punisher's new intimidating digs set to debut in the new film.
Photos from the Spider-Man 4 set have seemingly revealed a massive power upgrade coming for the Punisher in the new MCU movie.
Images posted online by fans on the periphery of the Glasgow, Scotland-based production captured what seems to be a new battle van for Jon Bernthal's R-rated comic book character.
Multiple shots from the set show the vehicle, a large black work van with a reinforced bumper and a white Punisher skull painted on its hood.
Fans even got a snapshot of Holland's costumed hero sitting on the front of the new powered-up vehicle as he hunts down the massive armored tank seen elsewhere in Brand New Day set photos.
Frank Castle's van has previously appeared in Netflix's Daredevil and Punisher series. The 1986 Dodge Ram Van serves as the character's mobile base of operations on his justice-seeking crusades across the greater New York area.
Punisher's battle van has a long history in the Punisher comics. In fact, the vehicle's first comic book appearance occurred in 1975 in Giant-Size Spider-Man #4, so fans can think of the van making its big-screen debut in a Spider-Man film as a full-circle moment for the legendary comic character.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (aka Spider-Man 4) marks the return of Tom Holland's wall-crawler to the big screen for his fourth MCU solo adventure. After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home left Holland's hero completely anonymous, Brand New Day will see him as the street-level, friendly neighborhood comic character fans have been craving from Marvel Studios, taking on a new super-powered threat to New York City.
Holland is joined in the new Destin Daniel Cretton-directed blockbuster by Bernthal, along with Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, and Zendaya. Brand New Day comes to theaters on July 31, 2026.
How Will The Punisher Factor Into Spider-Man 4?
Punisher putting his stamp on a Spider-Man movie is a big deal. Frank Castle and Spidey have crossed paths dozens of times in the comics, as they are two of New York City's most prevalent heroes.
Jon Bernthal's arrival in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will likely introduce a unique wrinkle to the MCU Spider-Man equation.
While Tom Holland's hero has been hard-pressed not to kill his foes on-screen, he has not yet been presented with someone to ask him why. Jon Bernthal's Punisher is one of the most R-rated characters in the MCU. He does not hold back and certainly does not let his target walk away from an encounter.
He could bring about an interesting moral quandary for Holland's 20-something hero, as Punisher's way of doing things crosses a line that Spider-Man never would.
And with rumors of a raging Hulk destroying New York, and multiple crime lords rising up to take Spider-Man out, Holland's Peter Parker will almost certainly be pushed to the edge with this 'why a hero should not kill?' question that Punisher's appearance on his radar presents.
