Cameras are now rolling on Marvel Studios' Punisher Special Presentation, and these latest videos from the New York set give us our best look yet as Jon Bernthal in full costume as Frank Castle.
The first video features a fairly close-up shot of Bernthal walking between two buses in the Punisher's signature skull vest and leather trench coat combo. The actor is also sporting a full beard, which may confirm that this story takes place before the events of Daredevil: Born Again. The second video shows an unfortunate individual being thrown from a hotel balcony.
Plot details are still mostly under wraps, but some previous set photos seemed to confirm that Castle will indeed be facing off against Isabella Carmela Magdalena Gnucci, aka "Ma Gnucci."
Gnucci was the ruthless head of a crime family who made her debut in the fourth issue of Garth Ennis' Marvel Knights run. She came close to ending The Punisher's crusade on a number of occasions, hiring formidable henchmen such as The Russian to track down her relentless enemy.
Check out the videos below, along with a fan-made poster for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will see Castle join forces (presumably) with Peter Parker.
Kevin Feige recently indicated that the version of the Punisher we meet in Brand New Day will be toned down somewhat (not exactly surprising given the movie's more family-friendly tone).
"When Punisher is in the Spider-Man movie, it’ll be a different tonality. We are seeing for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider-Man stories him being a proper Spider-Man. Him being by himself, dedicated to saving the city, and dealing with, for lack of better terms, street-level crime, as opposed to world-ending events."
Bernthal also co-wrote the script with his We Own This City director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will helm the Special.
"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," Marvel's head of streaming Bard Winderbaum said after the project was made official. "It's so exciting."
Winderbaum went on to reveal that the idea for a Punisher standalone story manifested during production on Born Again, which saw Matt Murdock team-up with his old frenemy to take down members of Wilson Fisk's anti-vigilante task force.
"Bernthal is a generational actor," Winderbaum added. "He's incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he's a great writer. He knows the character inside and out.... Also, I love Punisher, but I love Jon's Punisher in particular. The idea that he's in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever."