Marvel Studios has started the Punisher hype train with a new logo for the character's upcoming MCU return. Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle will return to screens later this year with a new skull-cracking adventure, The Punisher Special Presentation. This one-off streaming epic is set to be the character's first solo title since The Punisher series on Netflix (which came to an end over half a decade ago).
Fans got a taste of the Punisher character in last year's Daredevil: Born Again, sporting an updated, more grizzled look for the Defenders Saga revival. The R-rated hero is said to be getting even more of a glow-up heading into his Special Presentation, at least that is according to a new update from Marvel Studios.
Fans have spotted a new MCU Punisher logo making the rounds as part of a newly announced comic project from Marvel Comics (via The Punisher HQ on X). The new Punisher skull logo appears on a special variant cover of The Punisher #1 from renowned Marvel writer Adam Ross.
While some may think this new icon will be comic-exclusive, the special variant cover is confirmed to be part of a larger tie-in to The Punisher's upcoming return on Disney+.
Bernthal's Marvel hero could be seen wearing the same redesigned skull logo in set photos from the upcoming Special Presentation. It is notably different from the skull featured in the MCU before this.
The new logo has clear snaggled-toothed tendrils sweeping down its lower half.
Previously, the logo was much more scuffed, featuring larger eye holes in the skull while being narrower overall than the new iteration.
The character has also been known in live-action for his incomplete logo, usually only having two-thirds (or sometimes less) of the symbol visible, thanks to considerable wear on his various on-screen costumes.
The Punisher Special Presentation is set to hit Disney+ sometime in 2026. The new R-rated adventure follows Jon Bernthal's iconic Marvel hero in the wake of Daredevil: Born Again. As he escapes from the clutches of the villainous Wilson Fisk, Bernthal's Frank Castle is confronted with a new threat, a ruthless female crime boss with an apparent connection to Frank's past.
How Punisher Will Level Up in 2026
Jon Bernthal's Punisher is set to receive plenty of attention over the next 12 months. Not only will he star in his own Special Presentation on Disney+, but he is also confirmed to have a role in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, as well as Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
So, if there were a time to give the character an upgrade, it would be now.
It makes sense that Punisher is getting something of a makeover heading into The Punisher Special Presentation. The last time fans saw the character, he was locked in a cage under the watch of Mayor Wilson Fisk as New York City went to war with its masked vigilantes.
Fans can likley expect Frank Castle to remain imprisoned for only so long, eventually freeing himself from his iron-clad confines and heading back out onto the streets to dole out justice once again.
When he gets back out there, he will be a hero with a purpose once again. When fans saw him in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Frank was on the defensive, seemingly being more okay with hiding from the problem than facing it head-on like he had before. That will not be the case going forward.
With Fisk having declared war on New York's costumed heroes, Frank will need to level up his approach, and a new costume (and logo) could be part of that. It may also include the purchase of a slick bulletproof ride, as the character seems to be in possession of a rolling gun vault on wheels by the time he appears in Spider-Man 4.
