Adding even more estrogen to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a new rumor claims Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will have a female partner.
The rumor doesn’t offer any more details, so it’s unclear if it will be a female version of Microchip, a new character, or an existing Marvel female character.
The Punisher will reportedly have a female partner in ‘SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’.
— Marvel Updates (@marvel_updat3s) August 29, 2025
(Via: MyTimeToShineHello) pic.twitter.com/kLgM2fLhX9
Female-Centric Cast Expands
It’s also been claimed Spider-Man: Brand New Day added more girl power with the addition of Florence Pugh as Yelena from Thunderbolts.
On top of the rumored Punisher female partner and Yelena, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature Zendaya back as MJ. Also starring are Sadie Sink in an unknown role and Liza Colón-Zayas in a mystery role.
That’s not all as the main villain has been said to be female, too, possibly Lady Chameleon. Rumors also offer Sarah Snook is in the movie.
Balancing the Male and Female Roles?
On the male side of things, Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man, Bernthal plays Punisher, Mark Ruffalo is said to be Savage Hulk, Jacob Batalon is back as Ned, and Michael Mando plays Scorpion.
So keeping score? Spider-Man: Brand New Day has possibly six top female characters to five male characters.
What’s pretty interesting about that is a recent rumor claimed the Avengers: Doomsday script included a female character for every male character. Reportedly, that script has been scrapped at the demand of Robert Downey Jr.
The Punisher Details
Bernthal was previously confirmed to return as Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher, after last appearing in Netflix’s The Punisher and Daredevil. In Brand New Day, he’s rumored to clash with Spider-Man and even Hulk before eventually teaming up to face the film’s true villains.
Set pics and video showed Bernthal in the Punisher van with Spidey on the hood.
It’s also known that the villain of Bernthal’s Punisher special coming to Disney+ is a handicapped female mob boss.
Who Could the Partner Be?
The rumor doesn’t specify who the character is, leaving plenty of speculation.
Some fans believe it could be Rachel Cole-Alves, a Marine from the comics who teamed up with Castle.
Others suggest it might be an MCU original character to expand the film’s female-led cast, which again, already includes Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Sadie Sink, and more.
More Girl Power in Brand New Day
If true, this would add yet another female character to the lineup, making Spider-Man: Brand New Day one of the most female-heavy superhero films in recent years.
Between Yelena, MJ, and now potentially the Punisher’s partner, the movie is shaping up to take a different direction than past Spider-Man outings.
Release Date
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.
