Earlier this week, the news broke that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle in The Punisher Special Presentation. The actor, a self-confessed fan of the character he plays, is co-writing the project with director Reinaldo Marcus Green (We Own This City).
Has the Daredevil: Born Again star just dropped a hint about what we can expect from The Punisher's next solo adventure? Taking to Instagram, Bernthal shared a photo of The Punisher #53, released in 1991.
That's part of a storyline called "The Final Days" and followed The Kingpin as he set out to finally break Frank. After initially being forced to help the mobster, The Punisher was sent to jail where he had a violent reunion with his old foe, Jigsaw.
Frank is badly wounded but manages to escape and then needs to wrestle with whether the only way to live is if he changes. You can probably see how elements from this would lend themselves well to a Special Presentation on Disney+.
It's worth pointing out that this might just be a comic book the actor has enjoyed while preparing for the Daredevil: Born Again follow-up. Still, we'd bet on there being a reason for Bernthal choosing this specific story arc.
"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 Television boss Brad Winderbaum recently teased. "It's so exciting."
"Bernthal is a generational actor. 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," he continued. "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," Winderbaum concluded.
Check out Bernthal's Instagram post below.
In Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
The series also stars Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal. Dario Scardapane is showrunner.
Episodes are directed by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd; and executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Sana Amanat, Chris Gary, Dario Scardapane, Christopher Ord & Matthew Corman, and Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead.
Daredevil: Born Again premieres with two episodes on Disney+ on March 4, 2025.