When it was first announced that Jon Bernthal's Punisher would appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we wondered how an ultra-violent R-rated anti-hero would mesh with Marvel's friendly neighborhood Spidey. But Tom Holland says their strong off-screen relationship translates perfectly on screen.
"There's no secret that I absolutely love Jon Bernthal," said Holland in a new Spider-Man: Brand New Day featurette. "When we got to set, Jon and I started riffing, and it kind of became this really funny big brother little brother type relationship. Destin just let us run with it." Watch the clip below.
Unmatched chemistry between these two.#SpiderManBrandNewDay is in theatres July 31. Get tickets now. https://t.co/Gm9mNYn2jJ pic.twitter.com/0vd0lwazMWJune 19, 2026
Holland and Bernthal's friendship dates back to 2015, when the two met on the set of the medieval action film Pilgrimage. It was there that the pair auditioned for their respective Marvel roles. "Tom made my first Punisher tape, and I made his first Spider-Man audition tape," said Bernthal. Holland added, "There's always been a drive for me to share the screen with him as these characters; the fact that we get to do it now, in this movie, is so exciting."
Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton used the pair's decade-long friendship to the movie's advantage. "The type of chemistry that these two have bubbles up in unexpected ways that cannot be written," said the director. "It's my favorite rush when we have captured a moment that would not be able to be replicated."
We got a taste of the duo's brotherly relationship in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer, where Bernthal's Punisher gets frustrated with Spidey's need to avoid violence, which couldn't be more opposite to how Frank Castle handles business. But it looks like Spidey may need Punisher's help as a stack of new villains enter the scene, including one that no one can see, as mentioned in the new Brand New Day synopsis.
Although the two may butt heads, it seems like Parker needs a brother figure more than ever in the new movie, as it finds the hero in his lowest emotional state yet. Set years after Spider-Man: No Way Home, when Doctor Strange wiped the whole world's memory of Spidey's real identity (including his girlfriend MJ and best friend Ned), Brand New Day finds Parker alone, lost, and fully throwing himself into crime-fighting.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into cinemas on July 31 in the US, and July 29 in the UK. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
