Written by Spoiler Alert !!!This article contains minor spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is ostensibly a solo Spider-Man movie, but it really isn’t. To be fair, it does keep most of its focus on Spidey, but then it also, like most MCU movies, features characters from other franchises and teases the long-awaited arrival of X-Men into the MCU. Among the more prominent supporting characters is Frank Castle, or The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). He is an unlikely ally for Peter Parker in the movie, though he accidentally almost kills him.
The Punisher’s presence alongside Tom Holland‘s Spidey does make us wonder, though. What is the future of Frank Castle in the MCU? Will he join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday? On paper, it makes sense. The last two Avengers movies, Infinity War and Endgame, have been huge crossovers and have assimilated characters from other franchises. And from what we know of Doomsday and Secret Wars, they should be even bigger. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil is another of Marvel’s Netflix characters who has been folded into the MCU.
CategoryDetailsTitleSpider-Man: Brand New DayDirectorDestin Daniel CrettonMain CastTom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, Michael MandoPremiseFollowing the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker lives anonymously in New York and embraces life as a street-level hero while facing a dangerous new roster of villains, including Scorpion, Tombstone, The Hand, and others.IMDb Score8.3/10 (as of July 31, 2026)Rotten Tomatoes Score90% | 98% (as of July 31, 2026)
Is The Punisher Confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday?
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing
No. As of writing this, Marvel Studios has not given any confirmation of Jon Bernthal reprising the role in Avengers: Doomsday. His name was not in the official cast announcement of Avengers: Doomsday. He was also not involved in the post-credit scenes tease, which is understood to be Spidey being in the next two Avengers movies. All that, of course, does not mean that he will not be a part of the movie. Marvel does like to keep its secrets, as we know. The MCU movies, and particularly the Avengers franchise, do feature multiple twists and surprise appearances. Even the marketing strategy of MCU movies is built around secrecy.
For instance, the fact that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home was the worst-kept secret. There were leaked images being circulated online that spoiled the surprise, and many dismissed them as deepfakes. And they also seemed deliberate. So Bernthal’s absence from promotional material cannot be taken as proof that he isn’t involved.
All that said, there is one thing to keep in mind. Not every MCU character will automatically be a part of the Avengers movies. The Punisher does not have any superpowers, and he is a vigilante at the street-level. He might not fit the tone and scale of multiversal threats that the likes of Doctor Doom represent.
There has never been a need for Castle to don a mask because his objective is different from, say, Spider-Man. He does not intend to inspire people and give them something to believe in. He does, according to him, the dirty work that is required. Also, he has never had the motivation of saving the world through his actions. Brand New Day also has to eschew the brutal violence that accompanies the Punisher (which is one thing the Punisher’s fans might hate in the movie).
How Brand New Day Set Up Frank Castle’s MCU Future
Jon Bernthal reprises Frank Castle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing
Brand New Day does give us a little insight into Frank Castle’s future in the MCU. His presence in the movie, and a fairly meaty one at that, does indicate that in the MCU’s view, he is here to stay. There is also the fact that he was brought back in Marvel’s arguably most valuable franchise at the moment. The easy choice for the studio would be to continue using Frank in Disney+ shows about street-level superheroes. And maybe give him his own show after The Punisher: One Last Kill. That can’t be the end, can it?
Thankfully, despite the PG-13 rating, Brand New Day does not soften some of the harsher edges of Frank. He even utters an F-word. Well, almost. The movie also does not make a wisecracking ally of Spidey. Instead, the story and character arc of both characters reflect their ideological differences. Spider-Man wears a mask because he wants to make it inspiring for New Yorkers. Frank Castle doesn’t wear a mask because he doesn’t give a… well, you know. Spidey thinks people deserve a second chance, but the Punisher, true to his name, punishes those who have wasted theirs. The Punisher remains one of Marvel’s top anti-heroes.
Where The Punisher Could Appear Next
Credits: Marvel Comics
Credits: Marvel Studios
Credits: Marvel Studios
We once again reiterate that Avengers: Doomsday is a possible movie where Castle may appear in some shape or form. And as we have argued, it may not be the best choice if he is another face in a sea of faces. The Punisher’s presence in a project should always force us to tackle uncomfortable questions about things like vengeance and violence. And a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance would not do justice to those themes. They require time and writing to develop.
Apart from the aforementioned Disney+ projects, the most obvious future appearance of Frank is in the next Spider-Man movie. I really liked the chemistry between Peter and Frank in the movie and would love to see more of the same. Their almost opposite philosophies create a nice, fascinating contrast and result in a rich drama. It is certainly better than your standard superhero team-up. Their interplay is one of the reasons Brand New Day is one of the best Tom Holland-led Spider-Man movies.
There are also possibilities of projects with Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. But it would be repeating the same thing.
There are other comic-book allies and even enemies that the MCU could introduce. There is, for instance, Rachel Cole-Alves. She is a marine who becomes a Punisher herself and an ally to Frank. Even Wolverine, also an anti-hero, shares an interesting dynamic with Castle in the comics, and it could be done in a future street-level project. Perhaps Deadpool might join them to make a trio of anti-heroes?
Do you think Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher should appear in Avengers: Doomsday, or is he better suited to Marvel’s street-level stories? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
