Marvel fans will soon witness an event that's been rumored, discussed, clamored for, argued about, and all the other verbs. We're talking Daredevil: Born Again making its long-awaited debut on the 2025 TV schedule, which also marks the small-screen returns of fan-favorite characters like Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, and Frank motherfluffing Castle! And guess what? It won't be the last we see of Jon Bernthal's Punisher.
Seemingly taking a note from my entrails-emblazoned dream journal, Marvel has already confirmed a future adventure for Castle's bone-shattering vigilante, with Bernthal locked in to reprise the role once more. It won't be a full-on extension of Netflix's Punisher series, but it's literally the next best thing in my eyes, and might even be a smarter move than an outright limited series.
The Punisher Will Return For A Marvel Special Presentation
As explained by Marvel's increasingly more vocal Head of Television, Brad Winderbaum, the impetus for continuing The Punisher's small-screen impact was formed as Daredevil: Born Again was in production and it became clear that this shouldn't be the end for the widower. And it sounds like it'll be just as explosive as fans are hoping for. Here's how the exec put it to EW:
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. It's so exciting.
I mean, they might as well just call the Special Presentation "Shotguns and Pathos," amirite? I can't imagine whatever the final title is will be any more impressive and on the nose.
Jon Bernthal Is Co-Writing The Punisher Special
Not only is theWalking Dead vet going back in black in front of the camera, but he's also as invested as can be behind the scenes. It was confirmed that Bernthal will be handling co-writing duties for The Punisher's one-off storyline, which will assumedly add that much more organic badassery to what viewers will eventually watch.
Brad Winderbaum lauded the We Own This City star for his signature protrayal and for what he brings to the role of Frank Castle, saying:
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. . . . 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.
Hopefully whatever this Special Presentation is will connect enough dots to get Frank Castle invested enough in the larger multiversal story that we'll get to see him blasting holes in people's faces for the Russo brothers' upcoming Marvel movies like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. I don't expect it, but would welcome it all the same.
A Punisher One-Off Is The Perfect Way To Deliver Action Without Overdoing It
I was one of those Punisher fans who lauded and defended the Netflix series for its brutal strengths, though I could definitely also understand why those two seasons garnered complaints from viewers. And I think the biggest setback for both that and Daredevil itself was having too many episodes.
Sure, nobody wants to get a series order and a big budget from a major TV studio and think about the best way to make fewer episodes. But for a character like Frank Castle who pops as hard as can be when he's on the screen, delivering a constricted and condensed story seems like a far better way to keep fans gleeful without stretching everyone's attention spans. Plus, we won't have to wait nearly as long to see it!
It's unclear at the moment exactly when Punisher's post-Daredevil return will go down, or when it will go into production, but you can bet our eyeballs will be popping out of our skull emblems while awaiting more information.
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