Tom Holland Wants R-Rated Spider-Man After ‘Brand New Day’ to Repay a Favor

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is just around the corner, and fans couldn’t be more excited to see their friendly neighborhood superhero return to the screen alongside an unlikely partner. With the world now unaware that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, he is building a new life from scratch while protecting the people he loves most.

Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher and played by Jon Bernthal, is set to appear in the movie, taking the already massive hype to another level. Tom Holland has revealed that working alongside Bernthal has made him interested in exploring a more mature side of Spider-Man in the future. The actor recently told Empire that after Bernthal stepped into Spider-Man’s world, he would love the chance to return the favor by appearing in a Punisher project.

Tom Holland Wants To Show Up In A Punisher Show

Speaking about his collaboration with Jon Bernthal in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Holland explained that Bernthal has effectively crossed over from Marvel’s more mature, R-rated corner into Spider-Man’s more family-friendly world. As a result, Holland said he would like to “repay the favor” by joining a Punisher project in the future and seeing what an R-rated Spider-Man story might look like. He told Empire,

I would love to pop up in one of [Punisher’s] shows. Let’s see what an R-rated version of Spider-Man looks like. I’m so grateful for Jon for taking the leap and being a part of the film, and I would love to repay the favour.

The comments came after Holland praised the dynamic between Peter Parker and Frank Castle in Brand New Day. Bernthal also revealed that he and Holland auditioned for their respective Marvel roles together and helped each other through the process. The Marvel project marks their second film together, with Pilgrimage being the first. The duo will also appear in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.

Fans can’t wait to see how Bernthal’s character’s edge and grit have been preserved in the Spider-Man movie without compromising the film’s rating. We hope he remains the same damaged, uncompromising vigilante we have known and loved over the past few years.

Tom Holland’s R-Rated Spider-Man Can Fulfil James Cameron’s Unrealized Dream

Long before the modern era of superhero films, acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron envisioned a dark, gritty version of Spider-Man. Back in the 1990s, he wanted to bring the superhero’s authentic angst and puberty-related struggles to the forefront. He imagined the film set in a harsher New York, complete with more adult themes and a street-level focus that pushed beyond the traditional family-friendly superhero formula.

Although Cameron’s Spider-Man never made it into production, elements of that grounded approach may yet find their way into the evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day reportedly shifting Peter Parker back to neighborhood-level crime-fighting after the multiversal chaos of No Way Home, the franchise may be ready for the kind of story Cameron envisioned decades ago.

An R-rated Spider-Man appearance, perhaps even with the Punisher in tow, could finally explore territory that mainstream Spider-Man films have largely avoided. Rather than relying on graphic violence, a mature rating could allow for more complex themes, morally ambiguous situations, and a deeper examination of crime and justice in New York City. Peter Parker’s refusal to kill would become even more compelling when contrasted with Frank Castle’s brutal methods.

If Tom Holland eventually joins a Punisher series or another mature Marvel project, it could breathe new life into the familiar friendly neighborhood Spider-Man spirit that fans have wanted to see for years.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is releasing in theaters near you on July 31, 2026.