I'm psyched for Jon Bernthal's Punisher to clash with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but his latest comments just jogged my memory in the best way. That upcoming Marvel movie matchup isn’t their only collaboration on the way. The man behind Frank Castle and the Peter Parker actor are actually set to share the screen twice, and suddenly the 2026 movie schedule looks like a full-on Bernthal–Holland takeover, and I couldn’t be more pumped.
While appearing at Tokyo Comic-Con 2025 (via The Direct), Bernthal was asked about Brand New Day. He stayed tight-lipped on story details but casually dropped a reminder that caught me off guard. Before suiting up for Marvel, the former Walking Dead actor had already worked with the Uncharted star on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey. That means audiences will see the two actors together in back-to-back projects that couldn’t be more different. As Bernthal himself put it:
So yeah, I love Tom. It’s great to be back with him. We did the Christopher Nolan movie together and then right into Spider-Man. I just love him so much, and it was such a joy like Sebastian to see these young guys come up and do just incredible work in there. They blow me away. I’m honored to call them both friends.
This is a great reminder that this isn’t a one-and-done Marvel team-up. It’s a reunion that will unfold across two major 2026 movie releases, arriving just months apart, in films that couldn’t be more different in scale or tone. The Wolf of Wall Street alum has known Holland long enough to see the whole arc, and that history clearly shapes how he talks about working with him now:
The only thing I can say is, like Sebastian, who I love and admire so much, he’s such an incredible talent. It’s been such a joy for me to watch everything that he’s been doing over the years, and he’s singular. I feel the same way about Tom Holland. I’ve known Tom since he was 17.
Bernthal’s comments make it pretty clear that working with the Crowded Room veteran wasn’t just a pleasant experience, but one he’d happily repeat. There’s an ease to the way he talks about Tom Holland that goes beyond standard movie promotion, and it leaves the door wide open for this not to be their last time sharing the screen once Brand New Day hits theaters.
That timing also lines up with where Marvel seems to be taking Spidey next. The franchise has been steadily pulling Peter Parker back to street level, focusing less on universe-ending stakes and more on boots-on-the-ground conflicts. In that kind of world, running into someone like the Punisher feels almost inevitable, and it wouldn’t be shocking if Spider-Man’s orbit starts overlapping with more of the Defenders' corner of the MCU.
Punisher’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day also comes with a few intriguing question marks. One rumor floating around suggests Frank Castle won’t be operating alone, with reports pointing to the introduction of a new sidekick pulled from the comics. Allegedly, the character will be a female ally, possibly played by Sadie Sink, though Marvel is keeping everything about her role tightly under wraps for now. If true, it could add another unexpected layer to an already interesting Spider-Man crossover.
Either way, 2026 is shaping up to be a packed year for the two actors. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey arrives in theaters on July 17, followed just two weeks later by Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31.
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