Tom Holland is ready to explore a much darker side of Peter Parker. The actor wants to star in an R-rated Spider-Man project following his work with Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle in the upcoming film “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
The idea came up during a recent chat with Empire magazine. Holland spoke about his experience working with Bernthal, who plays the violent vigilante Punisher. The two actors share the screen in the fourth MCU Spider-Man movie, which arrives in theaters on July 31, 2026.
Holland made it clear he wants to continue this partnership. He specifically mentioned appearing in one of Punisher’s shows to see how Spider-Man would handle a more adult-oriented story. “I would love to pop up in one of [Punisher’s] shows,” Holland told Empire. “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.”
Holland Wants to Repay Bernthal for Joining Spider-Man Movie
The two actors share a long history that goes back years before they put on their superhero suits. They first worked together on the 2017 movie Pilgrimage, which they filmed in a small town in Ireland. During that time, they helped each other land their Marvel roles by reading lines together for auditions.
Bernthal shared this story with Empire as well. He explained that Holland read lines with him for the Punisher role, and he did the same for Holland’s Spider-Man audition. Both actors got the parts. This long friendship made their team-up in “Brand New Day” feel natural and special.
Bernthal praised Holland for introducing him to the Punisher character years ago. “Tom was really the one that said, ‘Man, this character’s so great,’ and he explained it to me,” Bernthal recalled. “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.”
Punisher Brings His Dark World Into Spider-Man’s Story
Fans worried that putting such a violent character into a Spider-Man movie would soften Frank Castle. Holland directly addressed these concerns. He promised that the movie keeps Punisher true to his original self despite the lighter tone of a typical Spider-Man film.
“I know that there are concerns about taking a sort of R-rated character and putting him into one of these movies,” Holland said, “but the way that we’ve designed the world around him feels very authentic to the Frank Castle we know.”
Bernthal described his character as someone who accepts his dark path completely. “He’s not looking for a buddy, he’s not looking for a friend, he’s not looking for a hand to pull him out of the hole that he’s in,” Bernthal stated. “He’s fine living in there. In fact, all he wants to do is dig deeper.”
The movie found creative solutions to keep Punisher’s edge. Holland teased that there are “fun ways to get around the fact that he swears all the time and kills people.”
The Spider-Man and Punisher Dynamic Starts With Hatred
The relationship between the two heroes does not begin as a friendship. Holland revealed that their characters start off hating each other. The tension slowly shifts into something more layered through improvisation between the two actors on set.
Holland called Bernthal’s performance “incredible” and said the character “absolutely sings in this movie.” The trailer already showed some of their clashes, including a moment where Punisher runs Spider-Man over with a van during a chase. Peter later webs Frank’s mouth shut to stop his swearing.
The core conflict comes from their different beliefs. Peter Parker refuses to kill anyone. Frank Castle believes killing criminals is the only way to stop them. This classic comic book disagreement drives their interactions throughout the film.
TV Rights Issue Blocks Spider-Man From Disney+ Shows
While Holland wants to appear in Punisher’s world, legal barriers currently stand in the way. Sony Pictures holds the rights to make live-action Spider-Man television shows. Marvel Studios cannot use Tom Holland’s version of the character in any live-action Disney+ series.
Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum confirmed this limitation recently. He explained that Sony owns the “long-form television rights” for Spider-Man. Marvel can only use the character in animated shows with episodes under 30 minutes.
This explains why Spider-Man has never appeared in live-action MCU shows like “Daredevil: Born Again.” The show can hint at the character but cannot show him or use his name directly. Any change to this arrangement would require a new deal between Sony and Disney.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day Release Information
The movie will hit theaters on July 31, 2026 worldwide. Here are the release details for major regions:
- USA and Canada: July 31, 2026
- United Kingdom: July 31, 2026
- Australia: July 30, 2026
- India: July 31, 2026
Destin Daniel Cretton directs the film. Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers wrote the screenplay. The cast includes Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, and Mark Ruffalo returning as Bruce Banner. New additions include Sadie Sink from “Stranger Things” and Tramell Tillman from “Severance.”
The story picks up after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The entire world has forgotten that Peter Parker exists. He lost his girlfriend MJ, his best friend Ned, and his Aunt May. Alone and starting from scratch, Peter puts on a new red and blue suit to continue protecting New York City.
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