Marvel and Sony have finally given a glimpse of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Inspired by last year’s Avengers: Doomsday marketing, Marvel and Sony are releasing the Brand New Day trailer in clips to try to create a days-long event. It means we’re gradually getting a sense of how the story plays out, and getting occasional glimpses of the supporting characters.
The latest clip has finally given viewers a glimpse of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, making his big-screen MCU debut. Even more excitingly, though, he’s shown at the wheel of what’s clearly the latest incarnation of the Punisher’s “Battle Van” – the iconic vehicle he uses to ferry around his vast arsenal. Unfortunately for Spider-Man, the Punisher seems to be a threat, because Frank Castle literally drives the Battle Van straight into him. You can watch the full clip below (click the next arrow to see it).
It Looks Like the Punisher Is Going Head-To-Head With Spider-Man
The Punisher was never intended to be a superhero. In fact, he was originally created as an antagonist, an enemy for Spider-Man himself who believed the wall-crawler responsible for the death of Gwen Stacy. As his co-creator Gerry Conway explained in an interview with SciFiNow, “He was created to be an oppositional figure to superheroes. In a sense, he’s the worst impulse of the superhero, right? The superhero takes the law into his own hands, he sets himself up as above the law – or outside the law at the very least – so the Punisher is a madhouse mirror reflection of that.”
The best Punisher stories have used the Punisher as a dark mirror of the hero, setting the two at cross purposes; over the years, the Punisher has acted as a rival for characters as diverse as Daredevil and Captain America. Marvel Netflix recognized this when Bernthal’s Punisher made his debut in Daredevil Season 2, and it’s thrilling to see Marvel continue with that portrayal. The interesting question, though, is why he’s gunning for Spider-Man in the first place; it’s possible he’s blaming the wall-crawler for Mysterio’s death in Far From Home, but it does feel as though there’s probably a more immediate reason.
What is odd, though, is that Spider-Man doesn’t appear to sense the Battle Van driving towards him in this particular Brand New Day clip. Spider-Man’s spider-sense should really have meant he knew the Punisher was coming and got out of the way, which probably means something has gone wrong with his powers. If that is the case, Spider-Man will find himself in great danger from the Punisher, because he won’t be able to dodge bullets with the ease he’s used to.
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