It seems that the character's resurgence in Daredevil: Born Again was merely a hint of things to come. Jon Bernthal is outright confirmed to reprise his über-popular Marvel role of former First Lieutenant Francis David Castle, or as fans, and the criminal element of New York City know him best as, The Punisher, in history-making fashion!
Bernthal is set to put his signature stamp on Ol' Frankie in three 2026 MCU projects: Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, the Punisher Special Presentation, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Interestingly, these installments represent the three avenues through which the MCU releases live-action content. Frank is the only MCU character to achieve this EGOT-like status in a single year.
The last time the stars aligned like this was in 2019, and only through film. Samuel L. Jackson turned in a hat trick of appearances as Nick Fury that year; Jackson had the biggest supporting role in Captain Marvel, as the then-SHIELD desk agent who got back into the field to lend a hand to a mysterious woman with memory gaps, who called herself Vers, reclaim her power as the one and only Carol Danvers.
Fury then popped in for a ten-second cameo in Avengers: Endgame, at Tony Stark's funeral, to pay his respects to his original Avengers Initiative recruit, and, despite his deeply shaken self-assurance, placed his eye on a future asset.
That same asset, Peter Parker, was put to the test in Spider-Man: Far From Home, when Fury (or Talos posing as Fury) pulled him away from a school trip to assign the teen a mission.
Plot details are minimal for The Punisher's 2026 roles, if not completely unknown, but here are the kind of tricks that the skull-wearing sharpshooter could get up to next year.
The Punisher's 2026 MCU Projects Explained
The Punisher Special Presentation
For the first time in three years, Marvel will bring another Special Presentation to Disney+. The Punisher's solo special will be the third in the 45-minute-ish MCU format, following up from Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, both of which came to Disney+ in late 2022.
Story details for Frank's next time in the spotlight are difficult to come by, due to Marvel's trademark commitment to secrecy. Word is that Castle will put a solitary smackdown on a woman crime boss, though.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2
The first season of Disney+'s Daredevil revival, Daredevil: Born Again, ended in April on a very dour note. Matt Murdock's worst, most persistent, and strongest adversary, Wilson Fisk, now Mayor of New York, enacted his grandest, most vile ambition: Declaring martial law for the city, imposing a strict curfew on every citizen, and turning the armed goons of his personal Anti-Vigilante Taskforce loose onto the streets with shoot on sight orders.
With Matt laser-focused on pulling together an "army" to take the fight to Fisk, Frank Castle may find himself teaming up with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen yet again. Castle's goals were aligned, to a point, with Murdock's in the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, but the former was nabbed by Fisk's thugs and shoved into a cage in the mayor's private prison/dungeon.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It seems that in the years since the planet's memories of Peter Parker were mystically vanquished, the Web-Slinger has continued to play his part in keeping NYC safe, which is why the latest casting announcement for Spidey's next MCU film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is so shocking. Spider-Man 4 will pair its lead with a most unlikely ally, one with no compunction or regard for safety: Frank Castle.
Indeed, Jon Bernthal will arm himself to the teeth as Punisher in Brand New Day, capping his three-project 2026 reign of wanton violence in the MCU. Internet scuttlebutt has also suggested that Castle and Parker will pit themselves against a rampaging Hulk, who has seemingly lost any element of Bruce Banner's influence.
Annie McDonough has been a writer at The Direct since its 2020 launch. She is responsible for the creation of news articles and features. She also has a particular affinity for action figures and merchandise, which she revels in discussing in the articles she writes, when the situation calls for it.
