After making his debut in season 2 of Netflix's Daredevil and later taking centre stage in the so-so The Punisher series, Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle finally makes his MCU debut in March's Daredevil: Born Again.
There are already rumblings about a revival of the vigilante's solo series and we're optimistic about him playing a key role in this franchise moving forward. The question is, what should that look like when The Punisher is part of a world full of larger-than-life superheroes?
In this feature, we're taking a look at six comic book stories we believe could serve as an effective basis for where Frank goes next. Some are grounded, violent, and very R-Rated, while others are more fantastical and something truly new for this vigilante.
Check them out by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
6. Franken-Castle
During the Dark Reign era, The Punisher was brutally killed by Wolverine's son, Daken. The villainous clawed mutant sliced Frank Castle to pieces, leaving him dead and buried...well, so the Dark Avenger thought.
Instead, the Legion of Monsters found Frank's remains and managed to bring the vigilante back to life as "Franken-Castle." Vowing to protect innocent monsters, The Punisher continued his mission, albeit in a much different way from what comic book fans had seen before.
This would be a crazy, inventive use of Jon Bernthal in the MCU and a great way to do something new with the character. We don't think he should be chopped up necessarily, but dying before teaming up with some monsters? That could be a blast.
5. The Slavers
During his usual nightly activity of killing bad guys, Frank Castle meets a woman who claims the men he just took out played a role in murdering her baby. The vigilante listens to her story and uncovers a nightmarish slavery ring which exists within the bowels of New York City.
Livid at the idea that there are men forcing young women into prostitution, The Punisher cuts a bloody trail taking them in gloriously violent ways, and it's impossible not to get some satisfaction from seeing those bastards get what's coming to them.
To get the audience to root for the character, they need to see him killing the worst of the worst and those who truly deserve it, and tackling a subject as dark as this would definitely be fitting for another TV-MA series following his Daredevil: Born Again return.
4. Cosmic Ghost Rider
In an alternate reality, The Punisher died during Thanos' invasion of Earth and, after ending up in Hell, made a deal to return to the land of the living so he could slaughter the Mad Titan for ravaging his planet.
However, it was too late and this Punisher/Ghost Rider hybrid later agreed to become Galactus' Herald so he could track down the Mad Titan. While we're not suggesting a straightforward adaptation, don't tell us there isn't fun to be had with a similar story in the MCU.
This does somewhat go against what many fans want to see from a grounded Punisher on screen, but it could be a fun future tale once Frank Castle has been established with his Daredevil: Born Again role.
3. Welcome Back, Frank
If Marvel Television is looking for a season-long big bad, Ma Gnucci fits the bill. After he kills two of her sons, the leader of this crime family goes to war with Frank Castle, not giving up in her quest for vengeance even after the vigilante takes her arms and legs.
Making The Punisher the straight man in a world full of larger-than-life characters worked surprisingly well here and surely would on TV too (especially now he's finally part of the MCU).
Garth Ennis' back-to-basics approach to The Punisher helped redefine the character back in 2000, and the same could very well be the case with a loose adaptation of this story for the small screen. Lifting some of the comedic moments from this tale would be no bad thing...after all, who doesn't want to see Jon Bernthal punch a polar bear?
2. In The Beginning
Revolving around a CIA officer who sets out to capture the vigilante, "In The Beginning" saw Frank's former partner Linus "Microchip" Lieberman sell him out so that government stooge can put him on a task force he's assembling to take out America's enemies.
Refusing to be used as a pawn, The Punisher was inadvertently released by some Mafiosos looking for revenge, and what follows is an all-out war between the three factions.
There's a lot here which would work in a series, and while some elements would inevitably need to be altered, Frank going up against the Mafia and the CIA would certainly make things interesting, particularly if it's in a New York City where Mayor Fisk has outlawed vigilantes.
1. The Omega Effect
Those of you who have read "The Omega Effect" will no doubt be aware that it also includes Daredevil and Spider-Man, so yeah, we're hoping this could serve as the basis for Spider-Man 4.
Regardless, there's a specific part of this story by Greg Rucka which needs to be included in a possible adaptation, and that's Rachel Cole-Alves. Moments after getting married, her new husband and entire family were killed in a hail of bullets, something which led to this former Marine also embarking on a quest for vengeance.
Eventually, she met up with The Punisher, and what followed was a compelling partnership that we'd love to see on the small screen. Pairing Frank up with someone like this would be hugely beneficial to the character and, beyond that, we want to see him fight Daredevil and Spidey.