THE PUNISHER Set Photos Reveal Ma Gnucci's Face, But Who Is Playing The Villain?

THE PUNISHER Set Photos Reveal Ma Gnucci's Face, But Who Is Playing The Villain?

Work on The Punisher Special Presentation is thought to still be ongoing in New York (meaning Jon Bernthal won't be on the Spider-Man: Brand New Day set this weekend), and Ma Gnucci has been revealed.

By JoshWilding - Aug 02, 2025 07:08 AM EST
Filed Under: The Punisher

More photos from Marvel Studios' The Punisher Special Presentation have found their way online, this time revealing the face of a character widely thought to be Ma Gnucci. 

Despite the quality of these photos being pretty good, no one has been able to identify who is playing the villain. It looks a little like Big Love and American Psycho star Chloë Sevigny, but it's also possible this actor is a stand-in. Whatever the case may be, we see now that the MCU's Ma Gnucci has all her limbs, despite being in a wheelchair. 

As a reminder, the comic book version of Isabella Carmela Magdalena "Ma" Gnucci sets out to kill Frank after he murdered three of her sons. Using her connections in the NYPD to send the "Punisher Task Force" after the vigilante, she also dispatches the formidable Russian (played by WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash in 2004's The Punisher) 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 by punting the limbless mobster into a burning building. 

This all plays out in "Welcome Back, Frank" (written by Garth Ennis with art by Steve Dillon), a story that's considered a classic among fans. 

Marvel Studios setting out to adapt elements of it for the MCU is an exciting prospect, though this Special Presentation feels more like a follow-up to Daredevil: Born Again than a lead-in to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. For starters, it would make sense for Gnucci's sons to be among the dirty cops from the Anti-Vigilante Task Force killed by Frank when we last saw him.

"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."

Reinaldo Marcus Green and Bernthal wrote the special, with the former set to direct. The Punisher Special Presentation is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.

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harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/2/2025, 7:10 AM

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HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 8/2/2025, 7:17 AM
Weres the missing limbs? this is as watered down as Jogsaw's acne scarred face in season 2.
Floke
Floke - 8/2/2025, 7:41 AM
@HashTagSwagg - Yeah, I wanna see her try to bite his legs off like in the comics.

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Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 8/2/2025, 7:45 AM
@HashTagSwagg - maybe they’re gonna retcon it a little so she’s already paralysed when we meet her, maybe her and Frank already have a little history. This presentation is gonna establish how brutal the Punisher is going into the MCU, maybe by ending it on leaving her to burn to death off camera. I think leaving her to be mauled by polar bears, as well as kicking her into a burning fire would be a bit much in live action. Plus if the rumours are true about Spidey stopping Punisher brutally killing Scorpion and that’s how they meet, perhaps their dynamic will be like the big brother little brother in the comics where Peter’s innocence heals Frank, to where Frank ends up always having a soft spot for Peter in the comics.
0bstreperous
0bstreperous - 8/2/2025, 8:38 AM
@HashTagSwagg - they are already going to water Punisher down by placing him in pg-13 spiderman
DannyBrandy20
DannyBrandy20 - 8/2/2025, 9:24 AM
@0bstreperous - Just like the comics

He started as a Spider Man villain

Punisher ain't Carnage

Stop bitchin
Jwsmith4839
Jwsmith4839 - 8/2/2025, 7:59 AM
Kinda looks like jeannetta arnette she was in the first season of criminal minds if its her
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 8/2/2025, 8:12 AM
OK, no clue who the actor is as rather non-descript but dunno why anyone would take issue with still having limbs as she can't loose them if didn't at first have them and you get into the dumb debates on why not cast someone who is limbless crazyness and/or CGI to remove them costs.

It always seemed a tad unlikely however they were going to go there and have her thrown into a polar bear enclosure, that was always unlikely for a number of reasons (being too brutal being the least of those) but is already disabled and left to burn to death still has the same sorta level of darkness for Frank (and could throw someone else to their death into an animal enclosure end of the day).

Figured I'd add why mauled to death was unlikely beyond the gore aspect, a LOT of CGI costs to do if showing it and if not why go there when you also would have pushback from those averse to animals like Polar Bears shown as visciuos man killers (then you have the costs again of removing limbs in post on top of that to consider). They've been working on changing the image of Sharks for decades after the impact on perceptions from Jaws after all and they aren't AS endangered as Polar Bears currently are. In addition HOW far would they want to go showing the most brutal side of Punisher if set to appear in Spider-man four, the full source accurate thing always seemed several steps further than they would dare risk going with even if get why many would want them to do so.

I AM OK if they full went there with the mauling first AND thrown into a burning building, I just don't think it is needed and may have too many negative consequences for the franchise etc, plus we have The Boys for that kinda stuff :D
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 8/2/2025, 8:34 AM
@Apophis71 - I mean to be fair though polar bears are
Vicious killers lol they’re like the perfect killing machine as far as land animals go
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 8/2/2025, 8:58 AM
I bope this one doesn't feel like another Marvel product and is allowed to be its own thing creatively.

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