I’m feeling pretty confident that that biggest Spider-Man: Brand New Day debate has come to an end. In the aftermath of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, a new status quo was set up for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, suggesting that he would be on his own going forward as more of a legitimate New York vigilante in the MCU. While there had been some reports that the fourth MCU Spider-Man might still be a multiverse movie, a new announcement has perhaps put the question to bed.

Currently, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has yet to reveal anything about its plot as the beginning of a brand-new trilogy for the MCU’s Webslinger. That said, casting announcements have begun, such as Sadie Sink in an undisclosed role as well as the return of Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds. However, the newest casting announcement of an established MCU hero is the best sign yet that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has indeed landed on what kind of movie it’s going to be.

The Biggest Spider-Man 4 Question? Street-Level or Multiverse

Reports Have Suggested Marvel Studios and Sony Were At Odds

Even before the release of its Brand New Day тιтle, some of the earliest reports were about ongoing studio tensions about whether the fourth Spider-Man movie would be a multiversal adventure or a more “street-level” story. Allegedly, Marvel Studios’ preference was to pay off No Way Home’s ending with Spider-Man being on his own. With the entire world having forgotten Peter Parker, the Webslinger was shown listening to police scanners from his single-room apartment and swinging through New York in a brand-new suit, the implication being that Spider-Man’s new status quo would be much more grounded.

Conversely, it’s been reported that Sony Pictures wanted another multiverse movie in the hopes of capturing the same levels of success seen in No Way Home. After all, the third MCU Spider-Man movie saw great critical and commercial success, having brought back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s previous Spider-Men. A handful of their villains were featured as well: Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Thomas Hayden Church’s Sandman, and Rhys Ifans as The Lizard (not to mention a brief cameo from Tom Hardy’s Venom).

Punisher Joining Spider-Man: Brand New Day Feels Like A BIG Sign

A More Grounded Story With MCU Vigilantes?

Many Spider-Man fans seem to be far more interested in a street-level story (myself included). Keeping things grounded will not only help differentiate the new movie and trilogy from the previous one, but it will also allow Tom Holland’s Peter Parker to meet new heroes and grow as the MCU’s Webslinger in brand-new ways. Keeping that in mind, the recent reveal that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is joining the cast feels like a great sign that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will indeed be street-level, rather than another multiversal epic.

A lethal vigilante who takes criminals off the streets permanently, it will be fascinating to see Punisher and Spider-Man together, not only due to their contrasting values and comics history, but also due to Bernthal and Holland’s real-life friendship, having helped each other read lines auditioning for their respective MCU roles. That said, rumors suggest Sadie Sink’s character could be from another universe, like a version of Spider-Girl. That would suggest Spider-Man: Brand New Day might be a blend of street and multiverse. Even if that’s the case, Punisher’s involvement will still help ground Spider-Man 4 based on his character alone.

Did The Avengers Movie Delays Change Things For Spider-Man 4?

Brand New Day Will No Longer Release Between Doomsday and Secret Wars

One has to wonder if Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s story was shifted in any way after Marvel delayed Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from their respective 2026/2027 dates in May to December. Originally, the new Spider-Man movie was originally going to be released between the two MCU crossover movies, so a more multiverse-focused movie would have made sense. Now, the next Spider-Man movie will release ahead of them both in July 2026.

Perhaps this schedule change has given both Marvel and Sony better cause to incorporate those street-level elements fans have been calling for, like adding Frank Castle. Whatever Spider-Man: Brand New Day and its story ends up becoming, Punisher’s inclusion is incredibly exciting all the same. Likewise, perhaps Castle’s simply the first New York hero to be announced, with more still to come.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to release on July 31st, 2026 from Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.