Marvel Studios is moving ahead with the newest installment of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man saga. Excitement for Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already building, ignited by the news of Jon Bernthal's addition to the cast.
Bernthal will reprise the role of Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, in a forthcoming film that will reportedly take Peter Parker in a more grounded, darker direction.
The movie is currently in pre-production and is scheduled to film later this summer primarily in the United Kingdom, specifically in England and Scotland. We have known that Pinewood Studios and Glasgow were on the list of potential locations for filming. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is penciled in for a July 31, 2026 release.
The Plan for the movie includes Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for his work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, to direct. Erin Sommers and Chris McKenna, who collaborated with Holland on the previous Spider-Man films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), will reclaim their role as screenwriters.
With the majority of the creative team returning and the new addition of Bernthal, Marvel is aiming for a fresh perspective while continuing the tradition of a familiar character.
BREAKING: Jon Bernthal has joined the cast of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY!
— MCU - The Direct (@MCU_Direct) June 20, 2025
(via @THR) pic.twitter.com/AR4LlWa0Pf
A New Beginning for Peter Parker
Spider-Man: Brand New Day directly follows Spider-Man: No Way Home, when the world forgets who Peter Parker is. With his identity wiped and no one from his previous life remembers a thing about him, Peter is on his own.
He no longer has Stark Industries tech, nor does he have any help from other heroes, which gives the next film a chance to change it up, and bring forward a Spider-Man version that will be closer to the street-level hero comic book readers have seen in comic history.
The presence of Jon Bernthal as The Punisher adds a distinct new dimension. Bernthal's portrayal in Netflix's The Punisher was intense, violent, and as morally gray as possible.
His involvement adds a new layer of ideology clash to the Spider-Man story; Spider-Man's sense of responsibility and non-lethal approach to criminals vs. Punisher being unflinchingly brutal in his form of justice.
Other returning stars are Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned. The new additions to the cast include Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas but no details about their characters were revealed. The mix of familiar character traits and new character designs suggests this film will delve into existing storylines while incorporating some newness.
The Story of Reset and Redemption
While the film's title, Brand New Day, nods to a familiar Spider-Man comic arc, its narrative will not directly adapt the 2008 storyline that involved a supernatural reset of Spider-Man's continuity.
The film uses Brand New Day to reference Peters's new beginning after the loss of his identity, his friends who could help him, and his support system of other heroes.
This film will most likely spend more time exploring Peters's challenges as an average person dealing with extraordinary challenges. Without the backing of high-tech gadgets to help him out or collaborations with other heroes, he is left to rely on his own values and instincts.
This sets the stage for a more personal and emotional story.
Having The Punisher incorporated into the story gives this film even more depth. It’s not just good vs. evil; it’s about how heroes with opposing moral beliefs handle the issues of justice and loss.
This looks like it will be a film about Spider-Man as more serious, emotional chapter in his life, rather than just the next superhero blockbuster from Marvel.
Filming is slated to begin in late-2025; along with its summer 2026 release date, we should start seeing promotional content starting sometime early next year.
For now, we will have to wait and see how Spider-Man: Brand New Day will become one of the most anticipated parts of Marvel’s future slate, especially with the return of Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal; they surely have great on-screen chemistry and off-screen history.
Source(Image / Thumbnail): decider
