Spider-Man: Brand New Day Erases A Key Part Of The Punisher's Identity With a Simple Change

Spider-Man: Brand New Day does away with a key part of Punisher's identity, allowing him to become a whole new man on the big screen. Peter Parker is in his lonely era in his latest solo outing, having given up all of his loved ones at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The only thing he wants to focus on now is being the best hero he can be for New York City.

Of course, Spider-Man isn't the only do-gooder who calls the Big Apple home. The New Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Fantastic Four all choose the streets of NYC as their primary battleground. Peter forges a relationship with Frank Castle, better known as Punisher, because they both have a passion for looking out for the little guy. Throughout Brand New Day, Punisher and Spider-Man bicker, with the latter trying his darndest to keep the former in line. One way the titular hero goes about that is by meeting his new ally on his level, referring to him only as "Frank," not Punisher. Brand New Day, as a whole, follows suit, never actually calling Jon Bernthal's character by his code name.

The shift is significant, as Bernthal's last two appearances, in Daredevil: Born Again and Punisher: One Last Kill, went out of their way to build the mystique around Punisher's persona. However, perceptions of the character in the MCU are changing. Once a wanted killer, he now serves the community as a vigilante with a code. MJ doesn't even think twice about spending time alone with him, as she's clearly aware of the better path that he's on.

Frank's hard work is clearly paying off, as a sequence toward the end of Brand New Day shows just how much the public is coming around to the idea of an antihero who only puts down those who truly deserve it.

Frank Castle Is Finally Stepping Out of the Shadows in the MCU

Peter and Frank are hot on Jean Grey's trail throughout most of Brand New Day (read more about Jean's role in the movie). After the Department of Damage Control captures her, Peter visits her and realizes she's not evil and only wants revenge for her sister's death. Frank doesn't get the memo, though, shooting a bullet in Jean's direction while she's holding a major section of NYC hostage.

Just before the fatal blow arrives, Peter steps in front of it, shocking Frank to his core. Frank rushes his friend to the hospital, where doctors and nurses stabilize him. And no one says a word about Frank staying by Spider-Man's side while he's healing up, even though he has a bad history with hospitals in the MCU, having gone on a rampage in one in Daredevil Season 2.

The hospital staff and law enforcement members realize that Frank is there to do more good than harm. They even give him the time and room he needs to pose as Spider-Man while Peter slips out and blends in among the joyful members of the crowd outside.

It remains to be seen where Frank shows up next. As it stands, there isn't a follow-up to One Last Kill in development. However, another season of Daredevil: Born Again is on the way, one that will reunite all the Defenders for the first time since 2017. With his newly discovered positive attitude, Frank would fit right in and keep the city safe while the Man Without Fear remains behind bars.

If that's not his speed, he can wait around until Spider-Man is ready for another adventure. Their dynamic is something to behold, even when they're at each other's throats. A new foe who's ready to wreak havoc on NYC is sure to emerge sooner rather than later. But with Frank and the Wall-Crawler on the case, their reign of terror won't last long.