Frank Castle will arrive in the MCU proper on Daredevil: Born AgainOpens in a new tab. Now we know he’s planning to stick around once he does. Jon Bernthal is co-writing his own Marvel special for The Punisher.
The Netflix era of Marvel shows ended with season two of The Punisher in 2019. Now, the character is ready to reunite with his fellow New York City vigilante on Daredevil: Born Again. We don’t yet know exactly what Frank Castle will do on the show (though we have some hintsOpens in a new tab), but we know he’s going to make it out of the season alive.
Bernthal himself spoke about the Punisher Disney+ special in an interview with The Hollywood ReporterOpens in a new tab. “I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve,” he said. “We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity.”
And yes, this Disney+ Punisher special will be very dark, according to Bernthal. “It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness. It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be… It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that.”
Jon Bernthal is penning the script for a Punisher special that will air on Disney+ (news we first heard at Entertainment WeeklyOpens in a new tab). He’s co-writing the script with Reinaldo Marcus Green, director of We Own This City. Bernthal starred on the 2022 HBO miniseries as Sgt. Wayne Jenkins.
The head of Marvel Television Brad Winderbaum told EWOpens in a new tab the idea for the Marvel special came during the making of Daredevil: Born Again. On that upcoming series Winderbaum says Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock turns to Castle “because he needs something done that he’s unwilling to do.” And, like “a bull in a china shop,” the Punisher “drives right to the heart of the matter.”
That’s an interesting tidbit for Daredevil: Born Again. As for The Punisher Marvel special, Winderbaum says, “It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story.”
Winderbaum recently said Marvel Studios is considering bringing back the rest of the Netflix era DefendersOpens in a new tab. This news makes that seem even more likely. It also indicates Disney hasn’t given up on doing MCU specials on its streaming service. Both Werewolf by NightOpens in a new tab and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialOpens in a new tab earned high marks from critics and fans.
From what we know of Jon Bernthal’s vigilante, we’d bet his special will kill, too.
Originally published February 26, 2025.
