Charlie Cox has issued a definitive, if characteristically evasive, statement on the biggest Marvel rumor of the moment: he is not in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. During a grilling on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Daredevil: Born Again star repeatedly denied his involvement, even while acknowledging that a lawyer for Spider-Man is exactly the kind of cameo Marvel fans have been craving since his scene-stealing appearance in No Way Home. His refusal to completely shut the door on future crossovers, while simultaneously denying a role in both the upcoming Spider-Man film and Avengers: Doomsday, creates a masterclass in celebrity non-denial that keeps speculation—and hope—very much alive.
The Marvel fandom is a machine built on speculation, Easter eggs, and the desperate hope that a beloved character from one series will pop up in another. For months, one burning question has dominated fan forums: will Matt Murdock, the Man Without Fear, return to the big screen to offer legal counsel to Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? On Wednesday, Jimmy Kimmel Live went directly to the source, bringing in Daredevil: Born Again star Charlie Cox for what became a masterclass in playful deflection.
The context for this interrogation was electrifying. The first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day had dropped earlier that same day, and it was packed with stunning returns. As reported, the preview confirmed the return of Mark Ruffalo‘s Bruce Banner and, most notably, Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle/The Punisher, a character fans feared was off-limits following the cancellation of his Netflix series [Entertainment Weekly]. Seeing the street-level Punisher alongside Spider-Man immediately rewired fan expectations. If Frank Castle could swing by, why not his fellow vigilante from Hell’s Kitchen?
Credit: Marvel
Enter Kimmel, who, after establishing that a jet-lagged Cox hadn’t even seen the new trailer, delivered his blunt opening salvo: “You’re not in it. Are you in the movie?”
Cox’s initial reply was a simple, smiling, “No.” But the host, sensing an opportunity, pressed further. This is where Cox’s response became a perfect study in managing Marvel’s secrecy culture. He didn’t just deny; he performed the denial, explaining the protocol: “If I was in the movie, I would also say no, to be clear. But I’m not in the movie.” He even gamely acknowledged the inherent untrustworthiness of such a statement: “I could be lying,” he admitted, before doubling down with a firmer, “I’m definitely not in the movie.” And for good measure, “I’m not lying.”
This exchange isn’t just playful banter. It reveals the tightrope actors walk in the MCU. A “no” is rarely ever just a “no”; it’s a negotiation with the narrative, a token of respect for the studio’s marketing plans, and a tease for the faithful. Cox’s reference to his 2021 cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home was the critical footnote. He did, after all, play Peter Parker’s “really good lawyer” in a scene that became an instant fan favorite and proved the value of these niche crossovers. That precedent makes every denial feel provisional.
The conversation then pivoted to Daredevil: Born Again, the Disney+ series currently filming its second season. Kimmel cleverly connected the dots, noting that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher now officially exists in the same universe as Spider-Man, yet is (or was) absent from the new season of Born Again as previously known. Cox’s quip, “And now we know why he’s not! Because he was gallivanting with Spider-Man the entire time,” is a hilarious piece of improv that also functions as canonical fan service. It treats this interconnectedness as a settled fact within the story, a subtle pushback against the walled-off storytelling of the past.
This is where the “why it matters” intensifies. The Marvel Netflix series operated in a silo. The multiverse has shattered those walls. Bernthal’s Punisher appearing in a Spider-Man film isn’t a one-off; it’s a declaration that the street-level, gritty heroes of the Defenders are now full citizens of the MCU. For Cox’s Daredevil, this means his world is now bigger than the Disney+ series alone. Any appearance in Brand New Day would be the logical, if spectacular, next step in that integration.
Kimmel then tested the next, grandest possibility: Avengers: Doomsday. Here, Cox’s denial was more visceral, almost panicked: “I don’t think so… I don’t know how. As far as I know, no. You’re making me very nervous, Jimmy! I don’t know!” His subsequent clarification—”I’m not in Avengers, but they haven’t shot them yet, have they? I sit by the phone waiting with bated breath”—is the most telling line of the night. It suggests two things: first, that he truly does not know his schedule for massive, secretive ensemble films; and second, that he, like every fan, is eager for the call. The cast of Doomsday is staggering, including the returns of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Chris Evans, Ian McKellen, and more [AOL]. A character like Daredevil would be a perfect bridge between the earthbound heroes and this cosmic-scale event, but for now, it remains fan-fiction.
The timeline is crucial. Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premieres on March 24 on Disney+, placing its narrative events squarely before the July 31 release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This chronology allows for character movement. Bernthal’s Punisher can leave Daredevil’s New York, have his adventure with Spider-Man, and be gone by the time Season 2 of Born Again begins. The same logic could apply to Cox’s Daredevil—if he were in Brand New Day. The denial, therefore, may be as much about protecting the planned storylines for his own show as it is about a simple “yes” or “no.”
Ultimately, Charlie Cox did what he does best: he gave a performance. He gave the fans the joke, the tease, the heartfelt wish, and the flat denial, all in five minutes. He confirmed he’s focused on Born Again but left the multiversal door wide open. The strategic value of this interview for Marvel is immense—it keeps the conversation going without confirming a single spoiler. For the audience, it’s a reminder that in the age of the multiverse, the only permanent answer is “wait and see.”
The definitive source for this analysis is the original Entertainment Weekly report on the interview and the AOL/EW article detailing the Brand New Day trailer that sparked the speculation.
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