Jon Bernthal’s stint in the role of Frank Castle began in a ing capacity in the second season of Daredevil, but he proved to be so popular that he was spun off into his own series, aptly titled The Punisher. After the show ran for two widely acclaimed seasons, Disney announced its own streaming service with its own Marvel series, so it canceled The Punisher and every other Marvel show like Thanos snapping his fingers.
Although the Punisher’s brute force might feel a little out of place in the world that the Avengers inhabit, there are a few ways that his return to the MCU could work.
Bernthal Should Return: His Take On Frank Castle Is Spot-On
After all previous on-screen incarnations of Frank Castle failed to capture the character’s spirit from the comics, Jon Bernthal came along with a spot-on take in Daredevil’s second season and later in his own spin-off series.
From his unbridled rage to the immense grief he feels after his family’s murder, Bernthal managed to pack plenty of nuance into his portrayal of a badass vigilante.
How It Could Happen: The Punisher Season 3 On Disney+
It goes without saying that the most obvious way for the MCU to bring back Bernthal’s incarnation of the Punisher would be to continue his Netflix series on Disney+.
The blood-soaked fight scenes of The Punisher probably wouldn’t fit in with the talking animals and animated musicals on Disney’s streamer, but if need be, the Mouse House can relegate Frank Castle’s darker adventures to Hulu.
Bernthal Should Return: He’s A Fantastic Actor
Aside from being perfect for the role of Frank Castle, Jon Bernthal is more generally just one of the greatest actors working today. The larger MCU would benefit from having Bernthal in its massive ensemble.
In addition to his breakthrough role in The Walking Dead, Bernthal has given unforgettable ing performances in movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and Ford v Ferrari.
How It Could Happen: A Team-Up With Deadpool
Jon Bernthal’s Punisher could make a similarly stern-faced foil for Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth after Josh Brolin’s ing turn as a grizzled Cable brought out the best in ‘Pool himself in Deadpool 2.
The fact that the Punisher’s stories have an R-rated sensibility limits his possibilities for MCU crossovers, but he’d be right at home in the hard-R Deadpool franchise.
Bernthal Should Return: There’s Never Been A Great Punisher Movie
There have been three Punisher movies in the past three decades — one starring Dolph Lundgren, one starring Thomas Jane, and one starring Ray Stevenson — and they’ve all been disappointing duds that paled in comparison to the source material.
Netflix’s Punisher series is the closest fans have gotten to a movie that lives up to the brutality of the comics. Now we need to see it on the big screen.
How It Could Happen: Protecting Spider-Man From New York’s Criminal Underworld
Right now, after the bombshell cliffhanger ending of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker is in the middle of New York City, surrounded by hardened criminals who want him dead, and his secret identity has just been revealed to the world.
When characters like Mac Gargan and Aaron Davis come after him, Peter might not be able to defend himself. The Punisher could help protect him from New York’s seedy gangster population.
Bernthal Should Return: The Series Left Unresolved Cliffhangers
Since The Punisher’s writing staff weren’t expecting the show to be cut short by Disney’s streaming debut, the second season left a few unresolved storylines to be picked up in a potential third season.
For example, Dr. Dumont was shown to have survived the fall. She was recovering from her injuries and would surely want to exact revenge against Frank for killing her boyfriend Billy Russo.
How It Could Happen: The Thunderbolts
Ever since General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was reintroduced to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, Marvel fans have been expecting the franchise to assemble the Thunderbolts — an Avengers-like team comprised of antiheroes and outright villains.
In the comics, the Punisher is a member of the Thunderbolts. Bernthal’s Frank Castle can General Ross, Ghost, Abomination, and Yelena Belova if the team assembles in the MCU.
Bernthal Should Return: The MCU Needs Darker Characters
Currently, the darkest characters in the MCU are regular heroes with a bit of edge, like the Guardians of the Galaxy. There are no truly dark characters like DC’s Batman or Dark Horse’s Hellboy to keep things fresh.
Blade and Wolverine are on their way to the MCU, but the franchise will need more characters than that to dig into darker themes, and the Punisher is perfect for that.
How It Could Happen: A Gritty Standalone R-Rated Movie
Bernthal’s Punisher doesn’t necessarily need to the Avengers movies or get his own long-running solo franchise like Thor’s or Captain America’s.
It would just be great to see the MCU’s Punisher in one gritty standalone R-rated movie with all the extravagant ultraviolence of the Netflix series.