Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has battled aliens, multiversal threats, and villains who are much more powerful than he is. However, now ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ might push him to do something he has never actually done.
The webslinger will now have to deal with a hero who does not play by the rules. The Punisher officially joining the MCU is already one of the most intriguing additions to Phase 6. The new set photos by TheMarvelShow hint at a far more dangerous thread pulling multiple storylines together, possibly even dragging the Hulk into a showdown nobody expected. It is not just another Spider-Man film. It is a collision of ideologies.
Punisher’s Violent MCU Return Throws Spider-Man Into His Most Dangerous Showdown Yet
Fans have been questioning how the MCU would treat Frank Castle for years. Would Marvel make him more family-friendly or keep the gritty, morally gray brutality that made the Netflix version so iconic? However, it is now evident that Marvel is sticking to the Punisher’s true form. The new photos show Spider-Man sitting on top of a car with Frank Castle as a gun is pointed right at him. It’s the kind of scene that instantly tells a story, even without sound.
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Spider-Man was attempting to defuse the situation, and Punisher was as firm as ever. It’s a confrontation between two heroes who work at entirely different moral frequencies. The picture itself inverts the MCU formula. Spider-Man films usually start with Peter struggling to juggle between being a kid and being an adult. However, here, he is faced with the darkest kind of responsibility: whether to stop a vigilante or to understand him.
The atmosphere is tense. This is not the friendly banter of Iron Man and Peter. This is not the reluctant alliance of Doctor Strange and Peter. It is a fight against a man who has shed more blood than half of the MCU villains. Punisher holding a gun to Spider-Man is not a tease. It’s a warning. And such aggression on their very first encounter implies that something bigger is afoot.
Hulk’s Presence Hints MCU Is Building Toward A Clash Fans Never Thought They’d See
Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, was also spotted on the ‘Brand New Day’ set, tied to a stretcher, and totally uncontrollable. This is something we have not seen since the very beginning of the MCU. There have been rumors for months that the movie will bring back a ferocious, uncontrollable Hulk, a character more akin to the monster that used to terrorize the Avengers rather than the lovable “Smart Hulk” character.
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So why is Hulk suddenly relevant to a story involving Punisher and Spider-Man? According to the pictures, Hulk may have gone berserk. Spider-Man gets dragged in. And the Punisher may decide only he can stop the rampage. It is a frightening and exciting prospect. When Frank Castle is ready to take on Spider-Man without a second thought, what is preventing him from taking on the Hulk? Frank has always fought against all odds.
He’s the man who pointed a gun at Daredevil, who threatened cosmic threats, and who never cared about power levels. He only cares about stopping the danger. Imagine the emotional chaos with Spider-Man attempting to save Banner. Hulk is losing his temper on a busy street in New York, and Punisher is willing to do anything to stop him. These three characters have never shared a narrative space in the MCU.
However, now, all at once, the pieces are falling into place. Marvel has been maneuvering through cosmic wars, multiverses, and timelines. Now it’s time for street-level clashes where morality is not black and white. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ appears to be such a comeback. And it might be the type of storytelling Marvel requires at the moment.
