Charlie Cox made his surprising MCU debut in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and there have been a lot of rumors that he will also appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. These rumors started thanks to the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) showing up in the first trailers. When Punisher is around, Daredevil is usually not far behind. There were also some comments from the Daredevil: Born Again showrunner that most of the characters in the overall MCU won’t appear on his show, but his characters are all available to pop up in movies when needed, which explains the Punisher. However, while there have been lots of rumors about Daredevil (or at least Matt Murdock) showing up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, they are simply rumors.
Now, Charlie Cox has opened up about the rumors, and it sounds like fan speculation is all it is. While appearing at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards, Cox was asked about the rumors. “I’m not in it. Don’t ask. I’m not in it,” Cox said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m not there. Unless they put me in after the fact using computer-generated images, I’m not there. I promise. I’m sorry.”
Daredevil Shouldn’t Appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Image Courtesy of Marvel
The interview not only had Charlie Cox deny that he was in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but when the interviewer said it broke his heart, Cox responded by saying, “Yeah, mine too.” Cox has said more than once that he wanted to be in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it never ended up happening. There are several reasons that Daredevil deserves to be in this movie. The Hand is back, and they have always been a powerful Daredevil enemy. With Elektra’s actual fate still a mystery, the return of the Hand could have a powerful emotional stake for Matt Murdock.
There is also the idea that Peter Parker might need an attorney’s help in case things get dicey if he tries to figure out a way to get his life back. However, this could be in a later movie, as there is a chance this could start a new trilogy for Spider-Man, so this storyline shouldn’t be rushed. However, with the Hand, Matt Murdock’s relationship with Peter Parker already set in stone, and Punisher showing up, there are lots of reasons for Charlie Cox’s vigilante to show up.
However, Punisher was connected with Spider-Man long before he ever fought Daredevil. He debuted in Spider-Man comics, manipulated by the villain known as Jackal. One of his next battles with Spider-Man involved a villain known as the Tarantula, who was shown in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer. In fact, the scene was a copy of a cover of The Amazing Spider-Man issue the Tarantula debuted in, which also included the Punisher.
Furthermore, if the Hand is there as a device to introduce Jean Grey to the MCU, having any mention of Elektra or Daredevil showing up, would just complicate the story, and that is never a good idea for theatrical MCU releases. The MCU needs to keep things as simple as possible if they want to bring back the audience missing from the last phase. This should help kickstart the X-Men’s time in the MCU, and Daredevil has enough going on in Daredevil: Born Again to get involved in this storyline.
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