Marvel Studios has a habit of turning its movies and shows into a family affair, and the MCU just added another real-life parent-child pair to its already long list. The Punisher: One Last Kill arrived this week as the latest R-rated Special Presentation about Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, the former Marine who became a one-man war on crime after the murder of his wife and two kids. The project leans hard into Frank's grief, and this focus opened the door for a casting choice that hits close to home for its lead.
Jon Bernthal's daughter, Adeline Bernthal, plays Frank Castle's late daughter, Lisa Castle, in The Punisher: One Last Kill. She appears during the cemetery scene, where Frank visits his family's graves and sees Lisa in front of him through a hallucination. The casting makes the Bernthals the newest real-life parent and child to share space in a Marvel project, joining more than a dozen other families who have done the same in the franchise.
Adeline Bernthal takes over the role of Lisa Castle from Nicolette Pierini, who played the character in the original Netflix series The Punisher. In One Last Kill, Frank is trying to find a reason to live beyond revenge, and the ghosts of his wife and children keep pulling him back.
Every Real Life Parent-Child Acting Duo in the MCU
Kurt and Wyatt Russell
Kurt Russell played Ego the Living Planet, the villain of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. His son Wyatt Russell joined later as John Walker, the disgraced Captain America successor seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This father-son duo featured in two separate Marvel Studios projects rather than sharing one. Wyatt Russell's MCU character has continued to flourish since that appearance. He recently reprised his John Walker role in Thunderbolts and is set to return in Avengers: Doomsday.
John and Atandwa Kani
John Kani played King T'Chaka, the former Black Panther, in Black Panther. His son, Atandwa Kani, played a young T'Chaka in the same film's flashback scenes. Both later voiced a T'Chaka Variant in What If...? Season 2.
Beyond sharing the throne, this real-life father-son duo fundamentally influenced the cultural landscape of the MCU's fictional nation. Because the elder Kani is a native isiXhosa speaker, his casting led the filmmakers to adopt Xhosa as the official language of Wakanda.
Jon and Max Favreau
Jon Favreau directed the first two Iron Man movies and has played Happy Hogan since 2008. His son, Max Favreau, had a small role in Iron Man 2 as the boy in the Iron Man mask who Tony Stark protects from a Hammer drone at the Stark Expo.
What started as a fun family cameo later grew into one of the most significant pieces of Marvel lore. Years after the film's release, Marvel Studios officially confirmed a popular fan theory that the little boy in the mask was actually a young Peter Parker.
The Hemsworths
Chris Hemsworth's children all turned up in Thor: Love and Thunder. His daughter India played Love, the daughter of Gorr the God Butcher, whom Thor adopts at the end of the film, while his son Tristan played a young Thor running through the woods in a flashback, and his other son Sasha played an Asgardian kid captured by Gorr.
The production of the fourth Thor installment practically transformed into a Hemsworth family passion project. Beyond Chris and his three children, his wife, Elsa Pataky, made a cameo appearance as a wolf woman from Thor's romantic past. At the same time, his older brother, Luke Hemsworth, returned to play the in-universe Asgardian stage actor portraying Thor.
The Portmans
Natalie Portman returned as Jane Foster in Thor: Love and Thunder, and her two children, Amalia and Aleph, appeared in the same movie as two of the Asgardian kids kidnapped by Gorr.
Their inclusion turned this massive Hollywood blockbuster into a heartwarming memory for Portman and her family. Director Taika Waititi actively encouraged the main cast to bring their children onto the set, allowing them to participate in the film’s major action sequences.
The Waititis
Taika Waititi directed Thor: Love and Thunder and voices Korg through motion capture. His daughters, Te Hinekāhu and Matewa Kiritapu Waititi, played Asgardian children in the film.
Interestingly, Waititi and the creative team also had the cast's children help design the terrifying monsters summoned by Gorr the God Butcher, using their raw sketches as the basis for the VFX models.
Christian and Rex Bale
Christian Bale played Gorr the God Butcher, the villain of Thor: Love and Thunder. His son Rex appeared as one of the Asgardian kids Gorr captures, which means father and son were on opposite ends of the same kidnapping plot.
This ironic dynamic added a bit of fun behind the scenes of an otherwise dark character arc. Bale revealed that his children were actually part of the reason he accepted the role of the terrifying cosmic villain. They insisted he appear in the film when scheduling conflicts almost forced him to drop out.
The Gunns
Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn cast his parents, Jim Gunn Sr. and Leota Gunn, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as background characters taking photos. They’re humorously credited as "Weird Old Man" and "Weird Old Man's Mistress." His brother Sean Gunn plays Kraglin and provided the on-set motion capture for Rocket Raccoon across the trilogy.
James Gunn often uses his projects to bring his loved ones together, making the film sets feel like a backyard family reunion. Sadly, Jim Gunn Sr. passed away in 2019, before the third movie came out.
The Skarsgårds
Stellan Skarsgård has played Dr. Erik Selvig since the first Thor. His son Bill Skarsgård voiced the Deviant villain Kro in Eternals. Unlike most of the others, the two appeared in completely separate films and played unrelated characters.
This makes them one of the few real-life pairs who never crossed paths on screen. While Stellan's character helped Earth's heroes with science, Bill's character tried to destroy them with cosmic power.
The Russos
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo packed their Marvel movies with relatives. Joe's daughter Ava Russo played Hawkeye's daughter Lila Barton in Avengers: Endgame, a role she carried into the Hawkeye series, giving her more screen time than the other Russo kids, who appeared in cameos. The rest of the Russo children found their moments in the spotlight during one specific, memorable scene in Avengers: Endgame.
When Ant-Man, Black Widow, and Captain America meet Smart Hulk at a diner, a group of young fans walks up to ask Hulk for a picture. Those three kids were actually played by Joe's other daughter, Lia Russo, Anthony's son, Julian Russo, and their nephew, Augie. Additionally, Joe's eldest daughter, Sophia Russo, made a cameo alongside her brother Bassil in the same film as Memorial Wall visitors. Before this, Sophia made a brief appearance in Captain America: Civil War as a teenager in the background.
Joe and Anthony's sister, Angela Russo-Otstot, also played a veteran named Garcia in Sam Wilson's counseling group in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Her children, Dante Rosalina, and Agostino Rosalina, have also made MCU appearances.
Laurence and Langston Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne played Dr. Bill Foster, also known as Goliath, in Ant-Man and the Wasp. His son Langston Fishburne played a younger Bill Foster in the movie's flashbacks. Langston perfectly copied his father's physical mannerisms and vocal tone, although admittedly, there seems to be some CGI tweaks to make their appearance more uncanny.
The Reynolds family
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, who played Ladypool, brought their kids into Deadpool & Wolverine. Their daughter Inez played Kidpool, their son Olin played Babypool, and their daughter James played a Screaming Mutant. Their daughter, Betty, was credited as a "Hugh Jackman Wrangler."
The Ferrignos
Lou Ferrigno Sr. provided vocal effects for the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. His son, Lou Ferrigno Jr. played Agent Hauer in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Interestingly, before lending his voice to the modern CGI Hulk, the senior Ferrigno physically played the green goliath in the iconic 1970s live-action series. He even made a live-action cameo in the 2008 movie as a university security guard.
The Greggs
Clark Gregg played Agent Phil Coulson across the films and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. His daughter Stella Gregg played a student named Amy in an episode of that same series, sharing the scene with her father.
In the season four episode, Clark Gregg's character, who is a teacher, is approached by Amy with an excuse for not handing in her homework on time.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
