Spider-Man 4’s Punisher Addition Can Help the MCU Recreate the Civil War Comic’s Most Iconic Moment

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Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will appear for the first time on the big screen when the fourth Spider-Man movie hits theaters in 2026. His role in Brand New Day is a mystery at this point, but there’s sure to be a battle of wills between the anti-hero and Spider-Man, who doesn’t go around killing people. There is one powerful moment in the comics that brings the characters together, though, and the MCU has all the pieces it needs to adapt it.

Spider-Man Is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place in “Civil War”

Just like in the MCU, the “Civil War” comic event tears the Avengers apart. Iron Man and Captain America end up on different sides of the Superhero Registration Act debate, and the rest of the Marvel Universe’s heroes have to pick a side. Spider-Man doesn’t like to see his friends fighting, but Tony Stark gets to him first and convinces him to reveal his real identity to the world. It’s a landmark moment in the crossover, as Spider-Man’s identity has always stayed out of the public eye. But Peter doesn’t get to spend much time celebrating his achievement before Tony takes things too far by throwing people into a prison he built in the Negative Zone.

Regretting his decision, Peter tries to leave Tony’s side, and a fight breaks out. Two villains who work for Tony, Jester and Jack O’Lantern, find Peter and injure him badly. The only reason the hero is able to escape is because the Punisher arrives and kills the assailants. Frank Castle then carries Peter into Captain America’s base and requests to join the fight. The panel of Punisher holding a bloody Peter is easily one of the event’s best, and there’s no reason that the MCU can’t do its own version of it.

Punisher Can Have His “Civil War” Moment in Brand New Day

While the third Captain America movie loosely adapted the events of “Civil War,” it removed important aspects of the story. Spider-Man makes his MCU debut in that film, but his identity is not revealed until Far From Home. Peter spends all of No Way Home trying to undo Mysterio’s actions, and the only way he’s able to succeed is by making everyone, including his friend, forget who he is. Brand New Day will pick up after that as Peter tries to create a new life for himself while continuing to operate as Spider-Man.

Without any villains confirmed for Brand New Day, there’s a chance that D-list thugs like Jester and Jack O’Lantern can make an appearance and rough Peter up during one of his solo outings. Frank always keeps his ear to the ground, so he may catch wind of the altercation and help out a local hero. After killing the bad guys, he can take Peter back to his safehouse, where the two can argue about whether it’s right to kill people. Frank may use the same spiel that he drops on Daredevil every time they go at it, but Peter can be more persuasive than a lawyer at times because of his positive outlook on life. While Peter probably won’t get Frank to change his ways for good, maybe he can get him to alter his methods for just a few days while he fights alongside Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026.

Would you like to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day recreate the most iconic moment in the “Civil War” event? What kind of role do you think Punisher will play in the movie? Let us know in the comments below!