Punisher’s Best MCU Return Can Deliver On A Phase 1 Hero’s 16-Year Villain Arc

The Punisher is set to star alongside the eponymous hero in Daredevil: Born Again, but this return could also deliver on the villain arc of one MCU Phase 1 hero after 16 years. The last time Punisher appeared on-screen was in The Punisher, where he fully embraced his role as a dealer of extreme justice. Since then, the canonicity of the collection of Marvel Netflix shows often dubbed “The Defenders Saga” has been a point of confusion until Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, recently cleared things up once and for all.

This means that Punisher and his self-titled Netflix show are now MCU canon. It also means that Jon Bernthal’s celebrated portrayal of the character whose only cinematic outings were lackluster, to say the least, could soon make the leap to the big screen. This would likely happen in a cameo role, but one MCU-canon not-so-solo movie pitch could finally get the adaptation it deserves.

Punisher’s Unused Movie Story Would Be Perfect For The MCU

A Nick Fury vs. Punisher pitch made by actor and writer Adam Simon has resurfaced thanks in no small part to Simon’s enthusiasm for the idea persisting into the modern era of the MCU. The pitch tells the story of Punisher in the aftermath of his solo series, as he recognizes that the death toll of normal humans has come as a result of the destructive forces that are ostensibly attempting to protect them, namely superheroes. With that in mind, Frank Castle sets his sights on the person he pinpoints as the nucleus of these heroes: Nick Fury.

Following a suboptimal lineup in 2023, the MCU needs a switch-up. The potential for a Nick Fury/Punisher movie to delve into darker tones (and deliver on the espionage genre that was squandered in Secret Wars) makes this the perfect time for the MCU to capitalize on this unused premise. It could also put Nick Fury and Punisher, two beloved Marvel characters, front and center in their own movie.

Nick Fury’s MCU Arc Justifies A Story That Places Him Against The Punisher

Nick Fury’s Skrull Allegiance In Secret Invasion (2023) Would Be A Problem For Frank Castle

Nick Fury made it his primary objective to gather and mastermind the superhuman team of Avengers, which would go on to define the MCU since 2008’s Iron Man, where he first floated the Avengers concept. Since then, Nick Fury has played a significant role in directing the team toward perceived threats that no ordinary human resistance could counter. Despite being on their side, Secret Invasion then had Fury falter in his nigh-unassailable propensity for planning as a faction of Skrulls that he had decided to harbor on Earth wound up turning on humanity, placing the entire human race at risk.

If Simon’s pitch were to be adapted for the modern narrative, then this provides Castle with ample recourse to turn his sights on Nick Fury. It is not a stretch to hold Fury directly responsible for the perceived threat that the Skrulls now pose on Earth, and would be a better justification for Castle to dole out extreme punishment on the erstwhile SHIELD leader than the presence of superhumans that helped save half of the universe. The Punisher movie could then culminate in the two rallying against the Skrull threat together, which correlates with Simon’s intended trajectory.

A Nick Fury Vs. Punisher Story Would Make Their MCU Team-Up Even Better

It is hard to pinpoint exactly where the Punisher and Nick Fury could team up after Castle’s appearance in Daredevil: Born Again, but the similarities they share in being two non-superpowered no-nonsense survivors in the face of cosmic threats is a satisfying reason to have them team up. Doing so after pitting them against one another would help make this union even more satisfying, especially in the face of multiversal threats, as the two find common ground after gunning for one another.

Having the two characters cross paths could also provide a pay-off for a Winter Soldier theory that has been ten years in the making. It follows a joke made by Captain America: The Winter Soldier director, Joe Russo, where he stated in an interview that a yellow truck that facilitated Nick Fury’s escape from Hydra agents, and later ran over Jasper Sitwell, was driven by Frank Castle himself. This would mean that Fury and Castle have been working in tandem in the MCU longer than their possible future team-up would suggest.