It’s claimed that Marvel is developing a new series for The Punisher, which would follow Jon Bernthal’s return as Frank Castle in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series.
The rumor comes via Daniel RPK with no additional details known.
Bernthal returns as part of the retooled Daredevil: Born Again series that gets released on Disney+ in March. Recall how we first told you the series was getting retooled from a goofy She-Hulk type show to something more in line and serious like the Netflix series.
Jon Bernthal only returning if they do Punisher right
Assuming The Punisher rumor is true, it seems as if Marvel will be keeping with that serious approach that the fans love. Jon Bernthal has even said he isn’t interested in returning as Punisher if it’s going to be a part of the goofy MCU. Since Bernthal is returning, we have to assume that Marvel Studios is doing the character justice.
Bernthal said the following back in 2021 prior to joining the MCU:
“That character, in particular, has real, real, real deep, deep meaning for me and resonance in me. He’s really in my heart, man. He’s really in my bones. I’m enormously protective of that character.”
The Punisher Is Back: Jon Bernthal Enters the MCU as a Bloodied Frank Castle in New 'Daredevil: Born Again' Set Photos https://t.co/LkydfXWZuc
— Variety (@Variety) April 3, 2024
Bernthal also said Punisher should be dark and he would only be interested in returning if they do things right:
“It needs to be a level of darkness. I think if there’s any let up on that character, you do a disservice to the character, to every iteration of the character, to every comic book that’s come before, and to all of the unbelievable fans of the character. This character means so much to people in the military. So like I said before, it’s not about whether you do the character; it’s about whether you can do it right, and I’m only interested in doing it right.”
Hopefully, the new series is also a lot better than Netflix’s The Punisher Season 2. The first season is really good but the second season is horrible.
Daredevil: Born Again premieres on Disney+ on March 4, 2025, with a nine-episode first season.