A new set video from the production of The Punisher Special Presentation spoiled a big scene that will raise eyebrows of many MCU fans. The upcoming Special Presentation from Marvel Television will continue the story of Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle following his return in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. Filming has been underway for The Punisher, which is expected to premiere sometime in 2026.
As production ramps up, more set photos and videos have emerged online, such as the confirmation of an exciting Netflix character from the first two seasons of The Punisher and the arrival of a dangerous new villain. While the plot details of the series are still shrouded in secrecy (despite leaked set photos online), a new image surfaced that spoiled a key (and brutal) moment in the upcoming MCU project.
Instagram user @elderordonez1 posted a new set video from the filming of The Punisher Special Presentation, showing Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle holding a fake dog while gangsters run amok on the sidewalk. This scene seemingly confirms that the series will portray a dog's death:
Based on some of the comments on the set video, some fans are angry that the Special Presentation will show a dog's death on-screen.
One fan pointed out that he "still [doesn't] understand the purpose" of including such a gruesome scene. Another appears to be set on boycotting the series, saying that he will not watch if a dog dies on-screen in the MCU project.
These reactions from fans are understandable because seeing an innocent dog be killed on-screen would be brutal and too much to take for animal lovers who are also fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Punisher Special Presentation follows the titular hero on the run from Mayor Wilson Fisk's anti-vigilante task force, prompting him to reunite with old allies and face harrowing enemies from his past. The upcoming special arrives before his confirmed appearance in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 on Disney+.
A Dog’s Death On-Screen Is Too Much Even for a Show Like 'The Punisher'
Seeing a dog's death on screen, especially within the confines of a Marvel show, would be too much for dog lovers, pet owners, and anyone else, mainly because of the emotional connection everyone has to adorable animals. While many movies or TV series often avoid these scenes, The Punisher is taking a bold risk by including this supposed death scene.
It remains to be seen if the dog's death scene will be included in the final cut or left behind on the cutting room floor. However, the cast and crew may take notice of the comments from the set video (which now has over 13,000 likes on Instagram) about the potential impact of this scene if it is included. There will certainly be some kind of backlash if it gets included, mainly because of the angry responses from fans.
This isn't the first time such a debate involving animals in a superhero project has begun to emerge. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 took a risk by showing the High Evolutionary killing three anthromorphic animals (who are Rocket's best friends), namely Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. While one would argue that those are fictional animals in space, the bottom line is that they were still animals that had been experimented on and brutally killed by an alien psychopath.
There is still a chance that this scene will be removed, especially after test audiences of Superman reacted negatively to a scene showing Ultraman punching Krypto in one cut of the movie.
Hopefully, the dog's death in The Punisher will suffer the same fate of being cut entirely in order to save itself from angry MCU fans.
