Marvel Reportedly Has Bigger Plans for Jon Bernthal’s Punisher

Frank Castle is back in business, and Marvel may have much bigger plans forJon Bernthal’s hardcore vigilante character.

After spending years on the sidelines, Bernthal’s Punisher has suddenly become one of Marvel’s busiest returning characters.

He resurfaced in Daredevil: Born Again, took center stage in The Punisher: One Last Kill, and made his theatrical debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. That’s a pretty awesome run for a character who once looked like he might never return.

Now, a new report suggests Marvel Studios is already figuring out what comes next, and the possibilities include something Punisher fans have wanted for years.

According to insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios is developing another Punisher project and is currently considering whether it should become a TV series or a theatrical movie.

Marvel hasn’t officially announced the project, so this remains a rumor for now. Still, if the report proves accurate, the format Marvel chooses could tell us a lot about how seriously the studio views Frank Castle as a major part of its future.

Bernthal originally debuted as the Punisher a decade ago before getting his own Netflix series, The Punisher. That show was eventually canceled alongside Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones as Disney ended its licensing relationship with Netflix ahead of launching Disney+.

For years, that looked like the end of Bernthal’s run. Thankfully, Marvel found a way to bring him back, and they’ve been having a lot of fun with the character ever since.

His recent appearances have hit all kinds of different notes, from exciting and brutal to surprisingly emotional and even playful at times. What I’ve enjoyed most is seeing Marvel play with different sides of Frank instead of simply dropping him into the same kind of story every time.

The more interesting question is whether Marvel is ready to give the Punisher a movie. For most of the MCU’s history, Marvel Studios has kept its theatrical movies safely within PG-13 territory.

Frank Castle doesn’t exactly fit comfortably inside those boundaries. His Netflix series was TV-MA for a reason. The violence, ugliness, and moral complications are fundamental parts of the character.

Marvel has become more comfortable breaking its old rules, though. Deadpool & Wolverine became the studio’s first R-rated theatrical release and went on to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever.

That success showed there’s a massive audience for adult-oriented Marvel movies when the character and material call for it.

The same shift has happened on Disney+. Daredevil: Born Again became Marvel Studios’ first TV-MA series on the service, while The Punisher: One Last Kill embraced the brutal action associated with Frank Castle’s Netflix years.

That makes either format possible, but each comes with a different gamble. A Punisher series on Disney+ would be the safer choice. Marvel could keep the TV-MA rating, spend less than it would on a theatrical production, and give Frank enough screen time to tell a longer crime story. It’s also a format that already proved to be a natural fit for Bernthal’s version of the character.

Trying to squeeze the Punisher into a PG-13 theatrical release could easily neuter what people love about him. Frank Castle isn’t Spider-Man with heavier artillery. His stories work because they’re harsh, violent, and uncomfortable. Turning down those elements to reach the broadest possible audience would miss the point.

An R-rated Punisher movie carries more financial risk, but Deadpool & Wolverine proved that an R rating doesn’t automatically put a ceiling on a Marvel movie. Bernthal’s recent MCU revival also means the character has more visibility than he’s had in years.

Whether Marvel ultimately chooses Disney+ or the big screen, the important part is keeping the character intact. Bernthal’s Punisher works because Marvel hasn’t tried to soften Frank Castle into a conventional superhero.

Give him the skull, give him a target, and let the Punisher be the Punisher.