Punisher Jon Bernthal is said to be set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), if a recent and surprising leak on Instagram is to be expected.
The apparent confirmation comes via Casey O’Keefe, a relatively unknown L.A.-based actor, who recently uploaded a picture of himself and Bernthal to the Meta-owned social media platform.
Normally, such pictures wouldn’t draw much attention. However, in the photo’s caption, O’Keef appears to drop a major hint that Bernthal’s Punisher has joined marvelFilm juggernaut. In it, O’Keefe praises Berthal, calling him a “fantastic actor,” before writing, “I look forward to working with you while… MARVEL STAGE 5!
Take a look at O’Keefe’s Instagram post below:
in August, We covered the news that Berthal is not set To get its own MCU Disney Plus Offers, or join the MCU at all. The report came after Rosario Dawson, who played Claire Temple/Night a nurse on several Netflix Marvel TV series, including Daredevil and The Punisher, incorrectly suggested that Bernthal’s Punisher was getting an independent MCU TV series.
Although Marvel has not officially commented on the matter, several MCU insiders have claimed that Bernthal will join Charlie Cox – who played Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Netflix’s Defenders-Verse – in making the move to the MCU via Disney Plus. Cox Murdock / Daredevil has already appeared in Spider-Man: There is no room for home And the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. He is also expected to appear in the standalone Echo series before he gets his own spin-off on Disney Plus – Daredevil: Born Again – in 2024.
As for those insiders who spoke of Berthal’s return,Tom Smith (Opens in a new tab)And the CanWeGetSomeToast (Opens in a new tab)And the MyTimeToShineHello (Opens in a new tab)who all have good track records when it comes to insider knowledge about Marvel productions, have all suggested that Bernthal has already signed on to reprise his iconic role in future MCU projects.
Of course, O’Keefe’s post should be taken with a pinch of salt, so don’t take this as confirmation that Bernthal s Already coming to the MCU. We’ve reached out to Disney and Marvel for official comment on O’Keefe’s post and Berthal’s return rumors, and we’ll update this article if we hear back.
Analysis: Where could The Punisher appear in the MCU?
Given his apparent ties to Daredevil from the Marvel TV variety show on Netflix, Daredevil: Born Again appears to be the most likely setting for Berthal to make his MCU debut.
The duo were two sides of the same coin in Netflix’s Defenders-Verse, incredibly side-by-side due to individual brands of justice and opposing beliefs about how far the Guardians must go in pursuit of revenge. Reuniting them in Daredevil’s first MCU project would be the perfect opportunity to explore that dynamic further, particularly with Born Again set to run an unprecedented 18 episodes (well, unprecedented in terms of the length of Marvel Studios TV shows).
If you weren’t born again, where would The Punisher – aka Frank’s Castle – appear? Marvel’s Thunderbolts would fit right in, pitting that supergroup as a team up against the hero. Castle is not a villain, nor is it a hero in the traditional sense, so it would be a perfect (not to mention crowd-pleasing) addition to your Thunderbolts roster.
How about the Echo TV series, too? The Punisher would probably shorten the cameos on this show, especially if Daredevil appears in a similar small role. That would make for an interesting side plot in Born Again, as Murdock would likely be distraught to see Castle making the rounds across the United States with the goal of implementing his own form of punishment on criminals across the country.
The rest of Marvel’s Phase 5 collection, like Loki season 2And the secret invasionAnd the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania They’ve come a long way in their productions to include The Punisher. Others under development marvel movies And the shows, including Captain America 4 and Agatha: Coven of Chaos, aren’t exactly right for his street-level actions either.
Our guess? If The Punisher is about to join the MCU’s increasingly stacked roster, she’s sure to be on a Disney Plus series like Born Again. But we’ll have to wait and see if that’s really the case.
For more MCU-based content, check out everything worth knowing about the last few MCU Phase 4 projects, including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Instead, keep reading Where you can stream every Netflix Marvel TV show so far.