Every Spider-Man movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe provides the titular hero with some pals to fight crime with, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters on July 31, 2026, will be no different. Frank Castle will make the jump to the big screen and likely lecture Peter Parker about putting villains down.
If Peter doesn't jibe with Punisher's attitude, however, he should keep his options open going into the inevitable fifth Spider-Man film. After all, the MCU is home to plenty of other heroes who would love nothing more than to spend a few hours fighting alongside the Wall-Crawler.
MCU Characters That Should Team Up With Spider-Man in the Future
Moon Knight
Despite dropping several bombshells in the Season 1 finale, a sophomore outing of Moon Knight doesn't appear to be in the cards. To make matters worse, there isn't much movement on a Midnight Sons project that would bring together all the mystical MCU heroes.
Marc Spector can't just sit on the shelf forever, though. His different identities keep the people around him on their toes, with there never being a dull moment when Mr. Knight or Jake Lockley show up.
Moon Knight also has a rich history with Spider-Man in the comics. It would be a waste if the two heroes never interact in the MCU, so the powers that be need to keep him in mind next time around.
Echo
Like Punisher, Maya Lopez operates in a very different world from Spider-Man. She comes up under Wilson Fisk, who turns around and kills her father, forcing her to seek revenge on her mentor.
When push comes to shove, Maya chooses not to give in to the hate and uses her newly discovered powers to heal Fisk's broken mind. Her efforts are in vain due to the events of Daredevil: Born Again, but that doesn't mean she should give up being a hero.
The best person for Maya to learn from is Spider-Man, who always does the right thing. Putting Peter in the mentor role in the next Spider-Man movie would do wonders for the character and his new friend, Echo.
Kate Bishop
There are very few people in the MCU who idolize the Avengers more than Peter. However, Kate Bishop probably gives him a run for his money after spending time with Clint Barton in Hawkeye.
Kamala Khan recruits Kate at the end of The Marvels, seemingly teasing the introduction of the Young Avengers (read more about how the group is coming together in the MCU). The team is still in the development phase, though, so Kate could run into Peter while hanging out in New York.
Kate isn't going to turn down an offer to help people, and Peter could use someone with her skills. It may feel like a step down from Punisher and Doctor Strange, but Kate has the potential to be every bit as impactful as they are.
Daredevil
It's hard to believe that Punisher is going to fight alongside Spider-Man before Daredevil gets the chance to. Matt Murdock even offers Peter his legal services after Mysterio reveals the young hero's identity.
The only way to make things right is to make Spider-Man 5 a Daredevil and Spider-Man team-up movie where the two heroes take on Fisk or another villain threatening New York.
It's been long enough since Daredevil got to show off on the big screen, and it's not like Born Again can go on forever. Kevin Feige and Co. have to come to their senses eventually and make the highly anticipated partnership a reality.
Shang-Chi
While Spider-Man is about to learn about the streets from Punisher in Brand New Day, he's most comfortable when he's facing a world-ending threat. Shang-Chi eats those for breakfast, as seen when he took down a dragon in his 2021 solo movie.
With a Shang-Chi and Legends of the Ten Rings sequel on the back burner, the character isn't confirmed for anything but Avengers: Doomsday. Appearing in an MCU event film is a big deal for Simu Liu's character, but he's probably not going to be the focus of the movie.
As luck would have it, Shang-Chi director Daniel Destin Cretton is helming Brand New Day. The 2026 movie is sure to perform well, and when it does, he can bring his old friend back for another adventure.
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