Director Destin Daniel Cretton announced that filming wrapped on Spider-Man: Brand New Day in December 2025, with the film now in post-production for its July 31, 2026 theatrical release. The wrap announcement coincides with cast reveals that significantly expand the film's MCU integration.
The biggest new additions: Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle / Punisher and Mark Ruffalo reprises Bruce Banner / Hulk. Both castings link Spider-Man's continuity directly into the broader MCU's street-level (Punisher) and heavy-hitter (Hulk) ensembles. Bernthal's Punisher previously appeared in Netflix's Daredevil series and the 2017 Punisher standalone show, with his MCU-canon return confirmed by Daredevil: Born Again (2025).
Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield in Stranger Things) joins the cast in a role not yet publicly confirmed but widely rumored to be Jean Grey / Marvel Girl in some capacity — potentially seeding the MCU's X-Men introduction independent of Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel Studios and Sony have not addressed the Jean Grey speculation directly.
Additional new cast members confirmed: Michael Mando reprises Mac Gargan from Homecoming (2017), where his character was teased as a future Scorpion. Tramell Tillman (Severance) joins as new character Bill Metzger. Tom Holland (Peter Parker), Zendaya (MJ), and Jacob Batalon (Ned) all return.
The plot picks up four years after the universe-resetting events of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), where Peter Parker erased his identity from everyone's memory — including MJ and Ned. Per Marvel's synopsis, Peter has been living "entirely alone" in the intervening period. The Daredevil casting we reported in our earlier coverage remains officially unconfirmed but is widely-reported as part of the film's broader street-level New York team-up structure.
The film shot primarily at Pinewood Studios in England with extensive location filming in Glasgow, Scotland — including a major sequence with Glasgow streets transformed to substitute for New York. Industry trade publications have noted Glasgow's growing role as a Hollywood production hub for blockbuster productions across both DC (Supergirl 2026) and Marvel productions.
For the full chronological context, see our Every Spider-Man Movie in Order pillar. For broader Phase 6 context, see our MCU Phase 6 Roadmap.