A lot of us awaiting Spider-Man: Brand New Day in India this Thursday and worldwide on Friday may be die-hard fans of the web slinger. But with every new addition to the Spider-Man franchise, the superhero is getting more and more embedded into the complicated world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
While Tom Holland's version of the wall-crawler was introduced amidst infighting Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, the fourth Spider-Man film, Brand New Day, puts the hero face-to-face with a street-level vigilante like The Punisher. Most Marvel fans may be up-to-date with all of Holland's Spider-Man appearances in the MCU, from Civil War to No Way Home. But just days before the release, many may still be clueless about The Punisher, essayed by Jon Bernthal, who is appearing on one of Marvel's films for the first time.
While Marvel has waited all these years to even tease a collaboration between the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man and Frank Castle, the comics have had many. Their first encounter was in The Amazing Spider-Man, issue number 129 (1974), which also marked Punisher's debut. Initially manipulated into believing Spider-Man was a criminal, Frank hunted him before learning the truth. Since then, they've often clashed because Spider-Man refuses to accept Punisher's lethal methods.
The Punisher plays a key role in Brand New Day. If you have no time to catch Daredevil season 2, 2 seasons of The Punisher, or Daredevil: Born Again and The Punisher special before the film, here's an introduction to the anti-hero:
Who is Frank Castle?
Jon Bernthal plays Frank Castle, a former US Marine Force Recon soldier, whose life turns upside down when he loses his wife and children (son and daughter) to a crossfire in a gang war. Initially, he has a black-or-white view on the situation and believes that only gangs and their clashes are the reason for their murder. So he takes justice into his own hands and uses his marksmanship to put an end to them, one by one. He adopts the moniker 'The Punisher' and relies on military training, tactical expertise and an arsenal of weapons, making him one of the more ruthless street-level heroes.
While the character was introduced in Daredevil season 2, we get to know a lot more about Frank Castle's history in The Punisher series. We are introduced to Frank's life as a soldier, where he is made to kill innocent people on command. Under a secret operation, he, along with fellow Marine Billy Russo, kills an innocent Afghanistan police officer on command. When he finally decides to quit the force and spend some quality time with his family, he ends up losing them to organised crime.
It is later revealed that Billy Russo was also a part of the conspiracy and betrayed his friend, Castle, by having a role to play in the murder of his family. In season 2 of The Punisher, the main battle is between The Punisher and Billy Russo's alter ego, Jigsaw.
What makes The Punisher different?
Frank is not like any other Marvel superhero. He doesn't believe in second chances like Captain America, or Spider-Man, or even Daredevil. He has no qualms about using lethal force, torture or intimidation to achieve his goals. Although The Punisher has escaped the justice system time and again due to various reasons, fans and audiences have always wondered if he is a hero or a villain. While he is not portrayed as a conventional villain, his ruthless methods ensure he remains one of Marvel's most controversial characters.
Why does the Punisher make Brand New Day interesting?
The Punisher series and all of his appearances have always been R-rated because of the violence and bloodshed that he brings with him. Fans of good action and marksmanship often find The Punisher a good binge-watch. But this comes a little on the contrary to the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, doesn't it? That's what makes the Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day all the more interesting.
On paper, Spider-Man and Punisher couldn't be more different. Peter Parker is driven by responsibility and compassion, often refusing to kill even his worst enemies. Frank Castle believes eliminating criminals permanently is the only way to stop them from hurting innocent people again. That moral divide has fuelled some of Marvel's most memorable comic-book stories, making their first MCU meeting one of Brand New Day's biggest talking points.
So how are the two going to work around a way to work with each other? Whether Punisher ends up as an ally, adversary or uneasy partner to Spider-Man remains to be seen. Fortunately, the wait is not too long.