After starring in Netflix's Daredevil and The Punisher, Jon Bernthal made his official MCU debut as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again. Before he reprises the role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day next summer, we'll also see him the actor centre stage in a Disney+ Special Presentation.
Reinaldo Marcus Green and Bernthal wrote the special, with the former set to direct. Now, the first set photos have found their way online, seemingly confirming plans for Ma Gnucci to be the Daredevil: Born Again spin-off's big bad.
While we still don't know who will play her, signage for Gnucci's Restaurant has been spotted for scenes which may be taking place in 1987. That's hinted at by a poster for Predator, though the movie theatre could be showing some classics (Dr. Strangelove and The Italian Job are also listed, and nearby vehicles look modern).
We'd imagine the cast will be on set later today, so it might not be long until we find out who is playing one of The Punisher's most twisted foes. When we last saw Frank, he'd seemingly managed to escape from Mayor Wilson Fisk's makeshift prison.
In the comics, Isabella Carmela Magdalena "Ma" Gnucci sets out to kill Frank after he murdered three of her sons. As well as using her connections in the NYPD to send the "Punisher Task Force" after Frank, she dispatches the Russian to take him out.
Gnucci loses all of her limbs and scalp when The Punisher throws her into a polar bear enclosure in the Central Park Zoo. He later burns her to death, but only after he punts the limbless mobster into the burning building.
"Welcome Back, Frank" (written by Garth Ennis with art by Steve Dillon), and Marvel Studios adapting elements of it for the MCU is an exciting prospect. Presumably, we'll see something in the special that leads directly into Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
"I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve," Bernthal recently said of this special. "We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience - it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity."
Asked how the standalone special will compare to the Netflix series, Bernthal teased, "It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness. It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be. It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that."
The Punisher Special Presentation is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026. Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is eyeing a March 2026 release, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day swinging into theaters on July 31, 2026.