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Movies & TV

08th Mar 2023

Jon Bernthal is returning to the MCU as the Punisher

Stephen Porzio

Punisher

He was a definite highlight of the Marvel Netflix shows era.

Jon Bernthal will be returning to play Frank Castle aka The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it has been reported.

Having previously been depicted by Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson on screen in movies, Bernthal first appeared as the grieving father turned vigilante on TV in the second season of Marvel’s Netflix show Daredevil. He later starred in a spin-off titled The Punisher for two seasons, with the actor earning rave reviews for his charismatic portrayal of the comic book antihero.

However, Netflix eventually cancelled its Marvel shows like Daredevil and The Punisher when Marvel’s parent company Disney began preparing its own streaming service Disney+. While it was unclear for a time if the actors from the Netflix shows would be integrated into Marvel’s movies or Disney+ series, it has started to happen with Charlie Cox’s hero Daredevil appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk and Vincent D’Onofrio’s villain Kingpin showing up in Hawkeye.

Both Cox and D’Onofrio are to reprise those roles in Daredevil: Born Again, an 18-episode show set to premiere on Disney+ in early 2024. Now, the Hollywood Reporter has said Bernthal will also be back for the series too as the Punisher.

Along with playing the Marvel character, Bernthal has had roles in a number of major movies including The Wolf of Wall Street, Fury, Sicario, Wind River, Baby Driver, Those Who Wish Me Dead, King Richard and The Many Saints of Newark.

He is also a prolific TV actor having played Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead, as well as recently appearing in American Gigolo, The Bear and We Own This City.

You can check out JOE’s interview with both Bernthal and Cox for Daredevil season two below.

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