Spider-Man: Brand New Day is underway. Four years after his last cinematic adventures, the web-slinger is back in action under the leadership of Daniel Destin Cretton and with Tom Holland in the title role. While Marvel and Sony Pictures were quick to make this fourth installment of the franchise official, along with a distinctive title, the identity of those who would cross his path was still a mystery. Zendaya's name was obviously circulating, without anything being made official. This was the case this weekend with two notable additions to the cast. The actor who plays MJ will be back in action, while Jon Bernthal will have a chance to don the Punisher costume again. The actor has played Frank Castle since the first season of Netflix's Daredevil in 2015. He recently returned to the role of the antihero in Born Again on Disney+ and is due to star in a Disney+ blockbuster. But before that, he'll face Peter Parker in Brand New Day. This news puts the character's future into perspective, as well as the tone of his established films. The Punisher inevitably means violence and bloodshed, and Marvel will have to deal with a decidedly PG-13 hero and an antagonist who is less accessible to younger viewers. A real challenge and a risk for the House of Ideas and Sony Pictures.
Change of direction?
Why did Marvel choose the title Brand New Day? To mark a 360° turn for the franchise or to faithfully adapt the eponymous comics? A bit of both. The arrival of Jon Bernthal in the cast confirms that the narrative will take some liberties, as the character is not at the epicenter of the eponymous glossy arc.
Indeed, Brand New Day mainly revolves around the erasure of Peter Parker's personality by Mephisto and the return of Harry Osborn. The erasure has already taken place, with the spell cast by Strange to close the doors to the multiverse in No Way Home. The second point is more complicated, since Harry Osborn has not yet been introduced to viewers. We should expect this important figure from the lore to be summoned in the fourth film.
Moreover, it is still difficult to imagine what role Punisher will occupy... Unless Marvel goes to another comic. In 1974, Punisher took his first steps in the Marvel universe with The Amazing Spider-Man #129. He then appears as a hitman looking for the one who killed Norman Osborn. Peter Parker could thus be the target of the mercenary before an alliance under the impetus of Daredevil. Matt Murdock is the link that unites the two characters, it is hard to imagine Marvel depriving itself of the pleasure of bringing them together under the same banner.
How can the two heroes coexist?
This entry of Punisher into the Spider-Man mythology in cinema remains sensitive. Marvel and Sony Pictures won't be able to sanitize Punisher to aim for a PG-13 rating (not recommended for children under 13 in the United States), or risk creating a backlash among fans. Marvel will undoubtedly have to make a strong choice: to go more frankly towards dark and drama-rich productions. Exit the general public, the next film will be one for maturity.
It remains to be seen how the public will react to this change of direction, and if the narrative will manage to honor all the characters and plots it adapts. The answer July 29, 2026 in theaters with Brand New Day.
0 Comments