Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trick Overcame 1 R-Rated Issue

Spider-Man: Brand New Day promises to pit Tom Holland’s Spider-Man opposite Jon Bernthal’s Punisher in a tonally surprising pairing.

While Spidey is often family-friendly, the Punisher is the quintessential R-rated antihero, meaning Brand New Day has to reconcile these tones. Helmed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, the film stars Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, and Michael Mando, in addition to Holland and Bernthal.

Though combining the world of the Punisher with that of Spider-Man was a tall order, Holland was up to the challenge. “I love trying to figure out how you take a really R-rated character and fit him into our world without changing him,” the actor told Fandango (via Rotten Tomatoes). “And there are loads of fun little Spider-Man quips that we use to kind of get around… LIke every time he goes to swear, we just web his mouth.”

In spite of how different Bernthal and Holland may seem onscreen in the MCU, the actors actually have a long-standing friendship, tracing back over a decade. “I’m so excited for people to see Jon Bernthal in this film,” Holland said. “There’s no secret that I absolutely adore him as a person. I’ve known him since I was a kid. I know his family really well. You know, I knew his kids when they were […] really little.“

Aside from their personal bond, Holland revealed that their Marvel fates shared an interesting origin. “We did each other’s audition tapes to get Spder-Man and the Punisher back when I was 17, I think,” he explained, before shifting focus back to Brand New Day. “And what was on the page was the kernel of an idea that turned into this, like, awesome big brother, little brother bickering relationship… Like the banter between the two of us is really, really awesome, and he’s so great.”

While their subsequent MCU journeys were largely separate, with Bernthal on the television side and Holland on the film side, Brand New Day presents the opportunity for the stars to translate their real-life friendship to the screen. Even so, Holland is quick to direct the praise back to his costar. “I think people are going to love [Bernthal] in this film,” Holland concluded. “I think he, when he is onscreen, he sets such a great tone.“

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