What role will Jon Bernthal play in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Character explored

After being announced at Cinema-Con Las Vegas, Jon Bernthal has been confirmed to reprise his role as The Punisher in the upcoming MCU movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, this is not his first Marvel project, as he has appeared in shows like Daredevil, Daredevil: Born Again, and more recently, The Punisher.

Set to release on July 31, 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day also features actors like Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Stranger Things's Sadie Sink, and The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas. Jon Bernthal has previously starred in FX's The Bear, The Wolf of Wall Street, Sicario, The Accountant, Baby Driver, and Ford v Ferrari.

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The Punisher: Jon Bernthal’s role explored

Frank Castle, famously known as The Punisher, portrayed by Jon Bernthal, is a war-torn vigilante. His entire character is defined by the violent death of his wife and children by organized crime. Frank was introduced in Daredevil as a ruthless, merciless, and efficient killer who hunts down the criminals connected to his family's murder.

As Frank's actions commenced, there were substantial levels of ideological conflict with Daredevil. It led to an ongoing struggle with Frank's absolute belief that lethal force is the only means to achieve accountability for wrongdoing. In The Punisher series, after Jon Bernthal's character completed his family's vengeance, he found it difficult to transition to life beyond the violence that shaped him.

Seemingly unable to distinguish between normal life and prolonged PTSD, he forms a reluctant partnership with David Lieberman, a critical piece to exposing government conspiracies with connections to his tragedy.

The first season works through Frank's tenuous friendships with Karen Page and Curtis Hoyle. It also explores the betrayal of his former brother-in-arms, Billy Russo, who becomes his nemesis Jigsaw.

Season 2 deepens Frank’s moral struggle as he protects a runaway teenager from a dangerous syndicate, forming a surrogate father bond while battling Russo’s vengeful return. Through the entire franchise, the series presents Frank as a man in a relentless internal struggle. He is longing for peace and yearning for friction, using bare-knuckle violence in part to recover from past trauma.

Jon Bernthal's character's involvement in Spider-Man's story promises ideological resistance. For instance, Peter approaches crime-fighting as a means to save and reform individuals. Meanwhile, Frank's means is to eliminate them through fear and death indiscriminately, thereby ending crime.

Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal have worked on previous projects before and even helped film each other's auditions to land their respective MCU roles. With a new director trying to bring an emotional narrative and action-packed thriller, fans are eager to see how The Punisher's involvement will drive the narrative of the movie.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day: What we know so far

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the title for Spider-Man: Brand New Day was announced on March 31, 2025, during Cinema-Con, Las Vegas, through a pre-recorded video message from Tom Holland. He expressed regret for missing the event and discussed a little bit about what fans can expect from the movie.

“I know we left you with a massive cliffhanger at the end of No Way Home, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start. It is exactly that. That’s all I can say,” he added.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be the 4th film in the franchise, which will be released amongst other Phase 6 projects like Fantastic Four, Daredevil: Born Again, and Avengers: Doomsday. Director Destin Daniel Cretton also stepped up on stage to share a few words with fans.

"I'm spending my time exploring the next stage of this amazing character with a team of the most incredible artists in the world. We're all, just daily, nerding out over the suit, how to swing, how to create an event, an emotional story, and a ride that we haven’t really seen before," he said.

Fans can expect more updates as production swings into action and new cast and character details are unveiled.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theatres on July 31, 2026.

Edited by Sriparna Barui