Last year, Jon Bernthal made his "official" MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again. The actor had a standout supporting role in the Disney+ series, and the future looks bright for Frank Castle.
In 2026, The Odyssey star will return in his own Special Presentation before making the leap to the big screen with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We've also heard conflicting reports about his status for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
There have been many questions about how the next Spider-Man movie and The Punisher's Special will connect, particularly as they're likely to have very different ratings (PG-13 vs. TV-MA). It's also unclear whether, from a storytelling perspective, the two projects will be closely connected.
Still, common sense suggests that his Disney+ return will help bridge the gap between Daredevil: Born Again and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
April will see the launch of Punisher #1, a new comic book series from Wolverine writer Benjamin Percy. A Marvel Television variant cover for the debut issue has been revealed today, fully revealing the new logo that the MCU's Frank will display on his chest in his Special Presentation (it matches what we saw on set) and, presumably, when he teams up with Spidey, too.
Last December, Bernthal shared new insights into the connection and revealed that he worked with Tom Holland and filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton to ensure continuity between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Punisher.
"Around that same time, there will also be this Punisher special that's coming out, that I think will be as high-octane Punisher as you've ever seen," the actor teased. "I think what was really important to me and to Destin and to Tom is that we believed that The Punisher could walk off of the Spider-Man set and could walk onto the special set, and I do believe that we achieved that."
As for the Punisher comic, the series finds Frank, still dealing with the events of his recent Red Band series, waging a new war against criminals, including a resurfaced Jigsaw, one of the character's most terrifying, twisted foes.
Take a closer look at The Punisher's official MCU logo below.
CRIME'S WORST NIGHTMARE IS BACK IN AN ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES!
As unflinching and uncompromising as ever, Frank Castle's memory is damaged and he's hunting for answers and criminals alike! He'll get more than he bargained for of both when the notorious and bloodthirsty JIGSAW returns... with THE PUNISHER dead in his sights!
PUNISHER #1
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Artwork by JOSE LUIS SOARES PINTO
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
On Sale April 2026