Marvel Television and Marvel Studios officially revealed the first details for the fifth MCU reboot in the studio's massive slate. Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 serves as the first chapter of Marvel Television's Netflix reboot slate, and it is expected to continue with the arrival of the show's sophomore season and the already-confirmed second season. Outside of Daredevil, another New York hero is set to take center stage in the form of Punisher in his own special project.
Marvel Studios has officially confirmed that The Punisher: One Last Kill is set to premiere on Disney+ on May 12, a week after the release of the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 finale.
The upcoming Special Presentation starring Jon Bernthal effectively reboots the character's previous movies, including the Dolph Lundgren-led 1989 Punisher, the 2004 Thomas Jane film, and the 2008 Ray Stevenson film Punisher: War Zone. These movies are purely standalone and don't operate in any shared universe.
Every Marvel Studios-Produced MCU Reboot Project
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Given that previous live-action attempts for the Fantastic Four franchise didn't live up to expectations, Marvel Studios pulled off a clean slate with The Fantastic Four: First Steps with a full creative reboot, introducing a new cast led by powerhouse actors Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, a retro-futuristic setting, and a vibrant, comic-accurate aesthetic that honors Jack Kirby's original vision.
The reboot strategy has clearly resonated with fans and critics, as evidenced by its historic Rotten Tomatoes score of 88%, making it the first Fantastic Four film to achieve a "Certified Fresh" status on the platform. What makes the MCU's relaunch of the Fantastic Four unique from its predecessor is that the studio immediately positions them as an important team that will be crucial to the franchise's crossover event, Avengers: Doomsday.
The Incredible Hulk
2008's The Incredible Hulk served as the reboot of Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk movie starring Eric Bana. Lee's entry failed to launch a new Hulk franchise because it divided audiences and critics.
Meanwhile, The Incredible Hulk, headlined by Edward Norton and Liv Tyler, successfully introduced the Hulk into the MCU and serves as the second entry in the MCU's vast timeline. The reboot strategy for Hulk worked because it reset the character's cinematic presentation, leading to his appearances in crossover movies like The Avengers and Thor: Ragnarok.
While the Infinity Saga subtly ignored The Incredible Hulk, later MCU entries in the Multiverse Saga, such as She-Hulk and Captain America: Brave New World, have increasingly referenced the movie, cementing its place in the shared universe.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the third major live-action reboot of the titular webslinger, following Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's on-screen versions.
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' reboot strategy for Tom Holland's Spider-Man stands out for its portrayal of a high-school-aged Peter Parker, Tony Stark as his mentor, and the Avengers operating in the world.
Aside from its pure MCU connections, Marvel Studios' Spider-Man reboot also delivered a unique approach to storytelling by paying tribute to what came before without undermining what the reset already achieved, bringing back Maguire and Garfield's versions to team up with Holland's web-slinger in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again was initially viewed as a full-on reboot, but a creative overhaul brought back core characters, Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, into the fold, cementing it as a continuation of the Netflix series while still being a refreshed relaunch for Matt Murdock in the MCU.
Given the show's rousing success, Daredevil: Born Again's exact blueprint for the Netflix-era street-level reboots is expected to be followed when the time comes that the likes of Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and other characters will be reintegrated into the MCU.
The Punisher: One Last Kill
The Punisher: One Last Kill serves as a reimagined continuation of the two-season Netflix series starring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, pushing him to the forefront in another 60-minute street-level adventure as he reemerges to continue his war on crime in New York. The main villain is expected to be Ma Gnucci, a dangerous crime boss out for revenge against the Punisher.
Aside from Bernthal's highly anticipated comeback, a familiar face from Netflix's The Punisher series is also confirmed to return: Jason M. Moore's Curtis Hoyle. In the original series, Hoyle serves as Castle's sidekick and a former U.S. Navy Corpsman who now runs a veteran support group in New York City.
Marvel Studios' efforts to reintegrate the street-level heroes into the larger MCU have been well received by fans. Following the cancellation of the Netflix-era Marvel shows, the studio orchestrated a soft reboot with Daredevil: Born Again, bringing back key actors from previous projects while maintaining the street-level stakes that the era is known for.
