Even the Hulk is eager to have the Punisher join the upcoming Spider-Man film.
Last month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Ruffalo will reprise his role as Bruce Banner/the Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Additionally, Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher is also joining, making his big-screen debut.
On Thursday night, Ruffalo, whose introduction to the MCU was in 2012’s The Avengers, spoke to THR at the red carpet premiere of HBO’s Task about returning for Spider-Man 4 and why he’s looking forward Bernthal joining the ensemble. “If I’m doing that — which the rumors are that I am, once I get a script, I’ll know it’s real — but I love him and we have a common friend in Lena Dunham, believe it or not, (laughs) who just adores him,” Ruffalo said.
He continued to praise Bernthal, saying, “I can’t wait to work with him, he’s so funny and he’s such a great actor. He plays that character like nobody else. I’m really excited to meet him, I’ve never met him!”
Ruffalo’s last time in the MCU was for 2022’s Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The Poor Things actor’s role in Tom Holland‘s fourth-led Spider-Man movie will mark his first appearance in a Spider-Man film, even though Ruffalo and Holland have teamed up in past Marvel films. It will also be Bernthal’s first time acting alongside the Hulk and Spider-Man as Punisher.
Notably, Bernthal’s take on the vigilante was featured in two seasons of Netflix’s The Punisher before it was canceled in 2019. He revived the character in this year’s Daredevil: Born Again, and has a solo special for Disney+ scheduled to premiere in 2026.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the follow-up to 2021’s No Way Home, which saw the world forget that Holland’s Peter Parker is Spider-Man. It began production at the top of August with Holland revealing his new Spidey suit. The next day, Holland took to Instagram to share photos of himself filming on set. The Uncharted actor recently said that he’s “been actively sifting through the internet and trying to best understand what it is that the fans want from a Spider-Man movie, and that’s been my driving force in these pitch meetings.”
Brand New Day hits theaters July 31, 2026.
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