Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will be making his big-screen debut in the upcoming Spider-Man 4, and the latest MCU rumor suggests that it will be alongside a female sidekick. A recent rumor has suggested that a Black woman will accompany Frank Castle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with two classic characters from Marvel comics theorized to play the part in the much-awaited sequel.
The Punisher’s Spider-Man 4 said to be a woman of color
In the latest episode of The Hot Mic podcast, renowned entertainment insider John Rocha noted that The Punisher will have a Black female sidekick in 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Rocha stated that he received a scoop from one of his sources a few days ago, who claimed that “Punisher is going to have a Black female sidekick” in Spider-Man 4. However, Rocha and fellow insider Jeff Sneider did not specify the identity of the sidekick, stating, “I don’t know what character that might be yet. And I don’t even know if they’ve cast the person yet.”
While Rocha and Sneider couldn’t say who the rumored sidekick of The Punisher will be in Spider-Man 4, many have theorized that it could be either Detective Misty Knight or Rachel Cole-Alves. Introduced in 2011, Cole-Alves serves as a Marine Sergeant in Marvel comics who completed multiple missions in Afghanistan. After criminals thwart her wedding to Daniel Alves, a trauma surgeon, resulting in the death of her fiancé, Cole-Alves turns to a life of vigilantism, eventually becoming a trusted ally of The Punisher.
Meanwhile, Detective Misty Knight has already made the jump from the page to the small screen, with Simone Missick playing the character in Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. An NYPD officer in the comics, Knight equips herself with a bionic prosthetic after one of her arms is blown off in a bomb attack.
At the time of writing, it remains unclear who The Punisher’s sidekick will be in Spider-Man 4, if the anti-hero does get an accomplice in the movie. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently on track to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.
