How Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Can Return In Phase 4 & 5 (Every Movie & Show)

There are numerous projects in Marvel Studios Phase 4 and Phase 5 MCU slates that could potentially feature Jon Bernthal’s long-awaited return as The Punisher. Following the return of Charlie Cox as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Wilson Fisk’s return in Hawkeye, all eyes have now turned to Jon Bernthal to reprise his role as Frank Castle. The Punisher was easily the second favorite Netflix character among audiences, and the demand for his return almost equals that of Charlie Cox’s before his No Way Home Cameo.

Not so long ago, Punisher’s return to the MCU was thought impossible by many, since the character’s violent nature simply does not fit with Disney and Marvel’s family-friendly image. Complicating matters further, Jon Bernthal stated that he would be willing to reprise his role as Castle only if the gory brutality of character is maintained, as he feels that is the essence of the Punisher. Recently, however, things have begun to change, with Marvel Studios choosing to bring darker characters into the MCU with releases like Moon Knight and Blade, making The Punisher’s return more likely.

This trend does not look like it will stop soon since Marvel’s Phases 4 and 5 slates are full of both confirmed and rumored projects that are bound to be darker in tone than the average MCU release. This could lay the groundwork for the MCU to explore darker comic storylines and events, which is the environment where a character like the Punisher shines. Even though Bernthal’s return is not yet confirmed, ten of Marvel’s upcoming releases could be perfect for him to reprise his role while still maintaining the essence of his character.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac as the troubled vigilante, will be the first MCU release of 2022, following a packed 2021. The Disney Plus show will also be the first of its kind to revolve around an entirely new character in the MCU. More interestingly though, Moon Knight is by far the darkest character Marvel Studios have adapted to date. Moon Knight often teams up with The Punisher in the source material, due to the two characters sharing a bloody modus operandi. The Moon Knight series could be the perfect way to reintroduce Punisher into the MCU and gauge the audience’s reaction since he will most likely play a small role if he is indeed in the show.

Echo

Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, better known as Echo, is set to receive her own Disney+ spinoff show within two to three years. The Echo series will likely center around Lopez facing the ramifications of her actions in the Hawkeye finale, and see her teaming up with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil to take down Wilson Fisk. This is another likely project for Jon Bernthal’s return as it will most likely feature Daredevil, a character who’s shared a significant amount of screen time with Bernthal’s Punisher in Netflix’s Daredevil Season 2.

Blade

Mahershala Ali is set to play Eric Brooks, also known as Blade, in the upcoming MCU film of the same name. Blade is a vampire hunter, who is no stranger to blood and violence. This makes Blade a strong contender when it comes to which project will feature Bernthal’s return. Similar to Moon Knight, Punisher teamed up with Blade on numerous occasions in the comics, usually to help him hunt and kill every vampire he can find. Fans of both characters have been clamoring for them to share the screen ever since Wesley Snipes played the Daywalker for the first time in 1998. The MCU can make this dream come true by having Bernthal’s Punisher join Ali’s Blade in his MCU debut.

Werewolf By Night

Werewolf By Night is the yet-to-be-confirmed Disney+ Halloween special that has been rumored for months. Rumors suggest that this could be Marvel’s Studios first foray into the horror genre, and will focus on Jack Russell, a normal teenager who discovers that one of his ancestors was bitten by a werewolf centuries ago and that he was bound to carry the same curse of turning into a mindless beast every month at full moon. While Russell uses his powers for good, he often loses control of his animalistic instincts and goes on bloody rampages. This could segue into the Punisher hunting Russell down to kill him on orders from Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Val or some other mysterious entity, or perhaps to revenge the death of a loved one.

Spider-Man 4, 5, 6

Shortly before No Way Home’s release, Amy Pascal confirmed that a second MCU Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland was already in the works. Even though their moral compasses could not be more unaligned, Spider-Man and The Punisher are a fan-favorite duo among comic readers. The back and forth that is created by the stark difference in their methodologies is one of the highlights of their various team-ups. While the chances of a character as dark and violent as Frank Castle showing up in a Spider-Man film are slim, it would be interesting to explore their dynamic on-screen, especially with the emotional state Peter was left in by the end of No Way Home.

Captain America 4

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) finally picked up the mantle of Captain America during the events of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and a fourth Captain America film following the newly appointed star-spangled man is already confirmed to be in development at Marvel. In the source material, the relationship between Frank Castle and Steve Rogers is a special one. Castle has the utmost respect for Captain America since rogers was his role model growing up. It would be interesting to see how that would affect the dynamic between Castle and the new Cap, and whether he would feel the same towards Sam or not if he shows up in Captain America 4.

Armor Wars

Don Cheadle is set to reprise his role as James Rhodes yet again in the upcoming Disney+ show Armor Wars. Not much is known about the series other than the fact that it will deal with Tony Stark’s legacy and the technology he left behind falling into the wrong hands. In the comics, The Punisher acquires the War Machine armor for some time following the death of James Rhodes. This could play into Armor Wars by having Castle be one of the people who lay claim to stark technology after his death. This could also be the only opportunity audiences ever get to see Punisher’s War Machine armor in live-action.

Deadpool 3

Following Disney’s historic acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, all of Fox’s Marvel franchises were presumed to be over, with MCU reboots replacing them. While that is true for almost all of them, Deadpool survived the acquisition and is set to receive his third solo film which will take place within the MCU. Deadpool is yet another Marvel character that shares Castle’s disregard for human life, and the two characters have crossed paths on multiple occasions in the comics. Frank’s unrelenting seriousness combined with Wade Wilson’s (Ryan Reynolds) constant sarcasm is what makes the combination of the two so great. With the Deadpool franchise likely to maintain its R-rating in the MCU, Deadpool 3 could be the only project in which Frank Castle can truly be his brutal self.

MCU Daredevil Project

There has been no official confirmation of Daredevil getting his own MCU project as of yet, but the character’s popularity paired with the audience’s reaction to his return in No Way Home almost guarantees him getting one. Bernthal’s inclusion in Daredevil was the highlight of the second season for many viewers, mainly due to his dynamic with Cox’s Murdoch. Therefore, if Daredevil does end up leading his own MCU project down the line, not including The Punisher would rob audiences of seeing Bernthal and Cox’s duo one more time.

Midnight Sons Project

The MCU’S Phase 4 is setting up multiple teams to take shape in the coming years, but perhaps the most interesting of which is the Midnight Sons. The Midnight Sons are a faction of the Avengers that is poised to deal with mystical threats that endanger the Marvel Universe. The roster includes characters like Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, Blade, Wong, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, and Punisher, all of which are either already in the MCU, or set/ rumored to receive their MCU debuts soon. It is clear from this that an MCU version of the Midnight Sons could soon form, and that could serve as Bernthal’s reintroduction as The Punisher.

The demand for Jon Bernthal to reprise his role as Frank Castle has never been higher, and Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio’s MCU reintroductions prove that Marvel Studios listen to the audience’s demands. The success of Netflix’s The Punisher was mainly due to Bernthal’s performance, a performance that will receive the recognition it deserves if Bernthal ever plays Castle in the MCU. While The Punisher’s moral compass might not fit the MCU’s family-friendly image, their slate of upcoming projects that make up Phases 4 and 5 indicate that this might not be a problem for much longer and that Bernthal’s Punisher could return to the MCU sooner than audiences expect.