Jon Bernthal makes Marvel box office history with Punisher
Jon Bernthal has officially made Marvel box office history as the first Marvel Netflix star to co-headline a $2 billion MCU movie. His return as Frank Castle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day helped the Tom Holland sequel cross $2.3 billion worldwide ahead of its fifth weekend, ranking fourth among the highest-grossing films of all time.
Key Takeaways
- Bernthal is the first Marvel Netflix franchise lead to star in a $2 billion MCU film.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day surpassed Titanic and is chasing Avatar: The Way of Water for third place all time.
- His Punisher arc bridges former Netflix shows with the mainstream MCU after years of canon debate.
- Bernthal also remains a streaming draw via The Amateur on Prime Video.
Why Does Jon Bernthal's Punisher Return Matter for the MCU?
Jon Bernthal first brought Frank Castle to screens in 2016's Daredevil season 2 before headlining two seasons of The Punisher on Netflix. After Marvel Studios reclaimed those characters, Bernthal returned in 2025's Daredevil: Born Again and the Disney+ special The Punisher: One Last Kill.
His supporting turn in Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks a bigger step than Charlie Cox's cameo as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which until now was the only MCU movie to feature a Marvel Netflix star. It confirms Netflix-era heroes can share the stage with the MCU's mainstream roster—and that a TV-MA anti-hero can help drive a family-friendly blockbuster.
How Big Is Spider-Man: Brand New Day at the Box Office?
More than a month after its theatrical debut, Spider-Man: Brand New Day crossed $2.3 billion globally. That puts it fourth on the all-time list, ahead of James Cameron's Titanic and within striking distance of Avatar: The Way of Water for third place—behind only Avengers: Endgame and Cameron's original Avatar.
The milestone underscores how far Sony and Marvel Studios have pushed Tom Holland's Spider-Man since 2017's Homecoming earned roughly $880 million. For more on how theatrical and streaming hits intersect, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Is Jon Bernthal Also Dominating Streaming Charts?
While theaters celebrate his Marvel milestone, Bernthal is finding renewed success on streaming. Per MovieWeb, the 123-minute spy thriller The Amateur—in which he plays CIA operative Jackson O'Brien—ranks No. 6 among the most-watched movies on Prime Video in the U.S. and has held a top-10 spot for weeks.
The Rami Malek-led film earned mixed reviews and roughly $96 million in theaters against a $60 million budget after its April 2025 release, but an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes has fueled a loyal home-viewing audience more than a year later.
What Comes Next for Bernthal in Marvel?
With Netflix characters now acknowledged as MCU canon, Bernthal's Punisher has a much larger platform than his 2016 debut. Fans are already speculating about deeper crossovers—possibly even a Daredevil and Spider-Man team-up in a future installment.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains in theaters. For full details on Bernthal's record-setting MCU run, Bam Smack Pow breaks down the box office milestone.