Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is going to share the screen with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this summer in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It’s something fans have wanted to see for a long time. But this is firmly a PG-13 affair, so we’re not going to see Punisher in full R-rated mode. However, Holland would like to see the two characters team up in R-rated fashion down the line.
In a recent interview with Empire, Holland discussed the possibility of another team-up with Spidey and Punisher within the MCU. The actor’s pitch? Have Spider-Man show up in a Punisher project on Disney+. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“I would love to pop up in one of [Punisher’s] shows. Let’s see what an R-rated version of Spider-Man looks like. I’m so grateful for Jon for taking the leap and being a part of the film, and I would love to repay the favour.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of the most-anticipated movies of the summer. There are many reasons for that but Punisher’s presence is absolutely one of them. It doesn’t hurt that Bernthal recently returned to the MCU in the very R-rated Punisher: One Last Kill special. How realistic is Holland’s pitch though? That’s tough to say.
Bernthal and Holland would undoubtedly be down. However, Sony controls the rights to Spider-Man on screen. They would have to sign off on this and given Spidey’s historically family-friendly tone, that might be a tough sell.
Here is the synopsis for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
“Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he’s devoted himself entirely to protecting his city — a full-time Spider-Man — but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced.”
“I really wasn’t familiar with the Punisher. I wasn’t a huge comic-book guy. Tom was really the one that said, ‘Man, this character’s so great,’ and he explained it to me,” Bernthal said in the same interview. “We’ve remained friends over the years, but what a beautiful opportunity to do two movies back to back with him with The Odyssey and Spider-Man. I love him. I’m so proud of him.”
Just how far Holland’s future in the MCU will extend remains to be seen. Holland originally signed a six-picture deal to play Spider-Man. He’s much more open to continuing in the role, but it’s more on a case-by-case basis these days, rather than him being locked into another long-term contract. It still remains to be seen if he’ll pop up in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31.
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