Fantastic Four Final Trailer Drops! Punisher Joins Spider-Man: Brand New Day!!
Following last month's Thunderbolts*, Marvel is set to release its next film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, next month, and has just unveiled its final trailer. Meanwhile, their subsequent project, Spider-Man 4, has also seen new casting news, featuring a familiar face: The Punisher.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Canadian Release Date: July 25th
Directed by Matt Shakman, who helmed The Spoils of War, which is considered one of the best episodes of Game of Thrones Season 7, and Marvel Studios' first series WandaVision. The four main characters are played by Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), Volpi Cup for Best Actress winner Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), and two-time Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear). The villain Galactus is portrayed by Ralph Ineson (Chernobyl), while three-time Emmy winner Julia Garner (Ozark) will play Silver Surfer. Other cast members include Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird), John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich), Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll), and Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso). Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up), who has frequently scored Marvel films, will also compose for this movie.
The film's art design features a refreshing retro-futuristic theme. The previous three Fantastic Four films were largely negatively reviewed. With the rights now back with Marvel Studios, will this installment finally be a decent one? Furthermore, Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), the villain for Avengers: Doomsday, is originally a Fantastic Four villain, suggesting that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will lay considerable groundwork for Avengers: Doomsday.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Canadian Release Date: July 31st, 2026
The Hollywood Reporter recently confirmed that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) will direct, with Tom Holland continuing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Reports also indicate that Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will return as MJ and Ned, respectively. New additions to the cast include Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink and Emmy-winning The Bear actress Liza Colón-Zayas.
At the end of the previous film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker chose to sacrifice his relationships with friends and loved ones, erasing himself from everyone's memory to resolve the multiverse crisis. The inclusion of the Punisher, known for his brutal hand-to-hand and firearms combat in past appearances, suggests a potentially grittier tone for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Jon Bernthal first appeared as the Punisher in Daredevil Season 2 in 2016, followed by two seasons of The Punisher on Netflix in 2017. While Netflix canceled several Marvel series in 2018, Marvel recently launched Daredevil: Born Again, continuing the Daredevil storyline, with Bernthal also reprising his role as the Punisher. Looking ahead, in addition to Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel Studios will release a "Marvel Studios Special Presentation" dedicated to The Punisher. This special will be directed and created by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), with Jon Bernthal also involved in the creative process, and is expected to premiere on Disney+ next year.
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Photos: Marvel
Source: The Hollywood Reporter