A Forgotten Spider-Man and Punisher Crossover Could Impact the MCU Moving Forward

Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Here is a simplified version of the story contents: Here is a lighthearted take on the story contents: Explore a different perspective:

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will officially be a crossover between Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher. The upcoming film, helmed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, is the final Marvel Cinematic Universe film before Avengers: Doomsday, hitting theaters on July 31, 2026, just a few months before the upcoming crossover event. The film also marks the big-screen debut of Bernthal’s Punisher, who has only appeared in television projects so far, making this a big leap for the iconic character.

There is no shortage of rumors about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with new reports surfacing almost every week for the film as it prepares to begin filming over the summer. With the Punisher now confirmed to appear therein, there are plenty of comic book storylines that could find their way into the movie. While there are more popular Marvel Comics issues featuring team-ups between Spider-Man and the Punisher, one forgotten crossover could serve as a basis for Brand New Day, especially if certain other rumors come true.

The Punisher and Spider-Man Fought Tombstone In a Forgotten Crossover

Tombstone Is Rumored to Appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

The Punisher teamed up with Spider-Man during the events of Spider-Man/Punisher: Family Plot, a two-part 1996 crossover by Tom Lyle. At this point in the timeline, Ben Reilly, a clone of the original Peter Parker, was acting as Spider-Man during the long-running and infamously confusing Clone Saga. Ben finds himself embroiled in the chaos that follows the attempted assassination of Don Geraci, a powerful mob boss in New York City.

In his intervention, Spider-Man inadvertently allows the attackers to get away, who then kill one of Geraci’s men as a distraction. Enraged by this turn of events, the Geraci family tries to save face by plotting revenge on both Spider-Man and whoever sent the assassins. Don Geraci contacts the Punisher, who had been working with the family to target organized crime from the inside, and sends him to kill Spider-Man.

read more

Unaware that his day is about to get much more complicated, Spider-Man continues to investigate the Geraci assassination attempt, discovering that it was orchestrated by Tombstone. As Spider-Man works to unravel Tombstone’s plot, he is confronted by the Punisher, who tells him to stay out of the Geraci family’s affairs. Eventually, the two vigilantes are forced to team up when Tombstone targets the mayor of New York City. The pair manages to foil this assassination attempt as well, seemingly killing Tombstone in the process (though the villain would return in later storylines).

This limited series takes on new significance given the recent news about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In addition to Jon Bernthal’s Punisher appearing in the film, Tombstone is one of several Spider-Man villains rumored for Brand New Day. As such, Family Plot could serve as a loose basis for the film’s story.

While Brand New Day may not follow the events of Family Plot beat-for-beat, several plot points could factor into the upcoming movie and its storyline. The intrigue, betrayals, and infighting of the criminal underworld may play a significant role in Brand New Day, particularly given the other villains rumored to appear in the film. Tombstone could prove to be one of many crime bosses who appear, hinting at a specific storyline for the highly anticipated Spider-Man sequel.

Will Spider-Man: Brand New Day Feature a Gang War?

Several Supervillains Are Rumored for Brand New Day

Tombstone isn’t the only villain rumored to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Several reports claim that multiple street-level Spider-Man villains are set to appear in the film, many of whom have ties to organized crime.

Michael Mando is rumored to reprise his role as Mac Gargan for the first time since 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. If this is the case, Gargan will almost certainly adopt his alter-ego of Scorpion in the upcoming sequel, nearly ten years after the villain was first teased. Scorpion is often depicted as a solo agent, but also occasionally works as an enforcer for various mob bosses in the comics.

Mister Negative, who recently experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to his appearance in the 2018 Spider-Man video game, is also rumored to star in Brand New Day. Mister Negative, a.k.a. Martin Li, is a mob boss who controls several gangs in the comics, most famously the Inner Demons. Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the Black Cat, and the Tarantula may also appear. All these rumored characters may have fans scratching their heads as to how Brand New Day can include so many villains and still have time for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. However, one storyline can account for all of these characters.

read more

A «Gang War» storyline could loosely adapt the recent Marvel Comics crossover event of the same name, weaving all of Brand New Day‘s rumored villains into one cohesive arc. Each of these villains could represent a different gang in New York City, each of which must be prepared to go to war with all of the others if necessary.

With the recent turmoil in New York following the events of Daredevil: Born Again, it would make sense that the criminal underworld is looking to take advantage of the city’s recent power vacuum. Eager to gain control, these gangs may go to war with each other for control of the city, forcing Spider-Man to intervene.

This is the only way for Brand New Day to incorporate so many iconic villains and deliver a cohesive story. If all of these antagonists are locked in conflict with one another, it would be much easier to weave their different storylines together. There may even be room to include Mayor Wilson Fisk himself (despite Vincent D’Onofrio’s claims to the contrary) as he tries to restore order to his city.

A Gang War storyline is also the perfect way to incorporate Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, who was last seen escaping from Fisk’s prison in Born Again‘s post-credits scene. It’s unlikely that the Punisher would sit idly by while the worst of the city’s underworld is wreaking havoc on the streets.

He would automatically intervene with his signature lethal brand of justice, which would understandably concern a hero like Spider-Man, who doesn’t believe vigilantes should kill criminals. This may also open a path for Charlie Cox’s Daredevil to appear in the film, joining Spider-Man and Punisher for the MCU’s best street-level team-up of all time. This is exactly the kind of crossover Marvel fans have been asking for—and it just might be coming to fruition.

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