Spider-Man’s Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal: A 10-Year Friendship Revealed!

In “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Spider-Man teams up with the Punisher onscreen for the first time. From their initial interaction, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, it’s clear the heroes share a past: Peter Parker amusingly recalls saving Frank Castle’s life, and since then, they frequently cross paths at crime scenes, each defending New York in their unique ways.

In this fourth installment led by Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal reprises his role as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, a part he has played on television for several years. His character challenges Peter Parker’s equilibrium, forcing him to question his choices and the fine line between responsibility and revenge.

“Frank comes from a completely different world than Peter,” Tom Holland explained in the press kit about their onscreen relationship, adding, “He’s driven by vengeance. We’ve brought the character as known from the series into our universe. Jon is absolutely amazing in this film.”

Friends for Over a Decade

The on-screen chemistry between Spider-Man and the Punisher is underlined by a genuine camaraderie between their actors. Before becoming on-screen adversaries in Brand New Day, Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal were already close friends.

The actors met back in 2016 on the set of the medieval thriller “Last Crusade” in Ireland, an experience they both fondly recall and discussed on the American show Hot Ones. In the film, Bernthal played a mute character and chose to stay in character even off-set. Holland remembers, “Three or four weeks before shooting started, we had become good friends. Then he told me: ‘I’m going to have to do this thing. I won’t talk; I’m going all-in on the method.’“

For nearly two weeks, Bernthal did not speak a word, communicating only in writing, leaving Holland to relay his orders to restaurant servers. It all came to a head over a misunderstanding about a lemon, which finally made him break his silence. This story not only shows Bernthal’s dedication to his roles but also highlights the strong bond between the two actors, long before they joined the Marvel Universe.

Jon Bernthal Supported Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Audition

The press kit also reveals another tidbit about their friendship. Jon Bernthal was with Tom Holland during his audition to land the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the saga’s first film. Holland later returned the favor by accompanying Bernthal during his auditions for the Punisher role.

This circle was completed with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as Bernthal recounts: “We’ve really come full circle, Tom and I, with Brand New Day. Reuniting with Tom and playing Frank Castle, I was reminded that the best part of this job is the human relationships.”

During Hot Ones, Holland made a heartfelt statement about his friend: “As a young actor starting out, it was crucial for me to find people I admired and wanted to emulate. I’ve learned so much from Jon, from how he interacts with his family and children, approaches his work, behaves on set, and how he’s treated me from when I was a kid to today, I’m deeply grateful. I’ve learned a lot from him, both personally and professionally.”

This friendship naturally enriches the dynamic between Spider-Man and the Punisher in the film. Their relationship mirrors that of two opposing brothers: they clash over their methods but also see parts of themselves in each other.

For Destin Daniel Cretton, this relationship adds a significant moral dimension to the story: Frank Castle acts as a cautionary figure for Peter Parker. The Punisher represents what Spider-Man could become if he completely gave up his idealism for violence.

With Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal not only bring to life a highly anticipated showdown between Spider-Man and the Punisher: they also translate a real-life friendship, nearly a decade in the making, into authentic on-screen camaraderie.

Since then, the two actors have also starred together in Christopher Nolan’s epic, where Holland plays Telemachus and Bernthal portrays Menelaus.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.