For the first time on-screen within the MCU, fans are about to see Frank Castle and Peter Parker finally put aside their crime-solving differences and work together. Spider-Man: Brand New Day sparked excitement when it was announced that Jon Bernthal would be reprising his violent role as The Punisher for the occasion, marking his theatrical debut as the character. With the film reckoning with the aftermath of Spider-Man: No Way Home, he becomes an unlikely yet surprisingly comic-accurate foil to the web-slinger when he needs whatever allies he can find against a mysterious new threat. Tom Holland, for his part, has considered their relationship one of his favorite parts of the new film, telling Collider earlier this year that he “wouldn’t be surprised if Spidey and the Punisher become a recurring duo.”
However, fans won’t have to wait until July 31 to see a team-up between the two, and no, we’re not talking about Holland and Bernthal sharing the screen in Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey this week. Marvel Comics has just released the first issue of Punisher Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, a new series penned by beloved Punisher: Year One writer Dan Abnett that is described as “a walk down memory pain.” The story revisits the earliest encounters between the two characters, as, like in Brand New Day, circumstances force them together. Instead of Spidey being in need, however, it’s an ally of Frank’s who’s in trouble, necessitating a team-up that will require the two to play nice, even if their perspective on violence and saving the day is vastly different.
To promote the release, a new preview of the story has been unveiled, teasing the very first time Frank and Peter came face-to-face. It opens with The Punisher setting up on a rooftop with a rifle, waiting for his target to come swinging by. As soon as Spider-Man enters his scope, however, his sight is just as quickly webbed up, and the friendly neighborhood hero drops in on him. Although he’s none too happy to have a gun pointed at him, Spidey still wants to know why Frank requested his aid, highlighting the banter between the two as Castle’s stoic nature clashes with Peter’s playful personality.
When Spider-Man goes a bit too far and says the biggest difference between them is that he has everything to lose while Frank has nothing, he apologizes and brings up their first encounter. The two New York heroes began their relationship as enemies, as The Punisher was manipulated into thinking Spidey killed his friend. It sets the stage for an uneasy partnership, with Frank ready to make the Jackal pay for using him in his scheme.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
‘Punisher Vs. Spider-Man’ Will Be All About the Heroes’ “Professional Differences”
As the title of the issue, “Professional Differences,” suggests, this first of five parts in Punisher Vs. Spider-Man will be all about how these characters’ origins set them on different paths. Both Frank and Peter are inspired by death, but respond to it much differently. Losing his family causes Frank Castle to begin an all-out war on crime with no qualms about killing people who have done wrong in the world. For Peter, however, the death of his Uncle Ben instead inspires him to use his powers responsibly, avoiding killing and focusing on saving lives.
Brand New Day will certainly emphasize these differences, but the comic will examine them on a deeper level and see if these two can keep themselves away from each other’s throats, or if they’re naturally wired to clash from time to time. Artwork for the issue was done by Matteo De La Fonte, while the cover was designed by Jonas Scharf and Alex Guimarães.
Punisher Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1 hits store shelves today. Check out a preview in the gallery above and stay tuned here at Collider
