Jon Bernthal's Punisher made an appearance on a Marvel Studios movie poster. Out of the five leading characters introduced in Netflix's Defenders Saga, the scourge of New York's criminal underworld is the first to assume a starring role in an MCU blockbuster. The Punisher's looming return follows his previous Marvel Television appearances in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and The Punisher: One Last Kill Special Presentation, which laid the groundwork for Frank Castle's "psychological state" in Brand New Day.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day received a stunning new poster for the Chinese market that notably highlights Jon Bernthal's Punisher. This marks the Punisher's first appearance on a Marvel Studios movie poster as he makes his big-screen debut in Brand New Day, having previously only appeared in streaming projects.
Frank Castle's theatrical MCU debut in Brand New Day is rather fitting, as the Punisher's first comic appearance came in 1974's The Amazing Spider-Man #129. The Walking Dead alum received fifth billing for Spider-Man 4, signaling that his role is crucial and justifying his central place on the latest poster.
Bernthal donned the Punisher's iconic skull for the first time over a decade ago in Daredevil Season 2 before he received a two-season Netflix spin-off. The crime-slayer made his vengeful presence known in the MCU for 11 years in four seasons of TV and a Disney+ special, although Brand New Day will arguably put the Punisher in front of more eyes than ever before.
The Punisher received his first-ever Marvel Studios poster for Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, in which he appeared in Episode 4, "Sic Semper Systema," and Episode 9, "Straight to Hell," to team up with the Man Without Fear. The TV-MA Disney+ series marked Frank Castle's MCU comeback after a six-year absence, following the cancellation of his solo Netflix series in 2019.
Bernthal was absent from Born Again Season 2 and the final clash with Kingpin due to his other MCU filming commitments, including The Punisher: One Last Kill, which premiered on Disney+ in May. The sub-one-hour special may be the closest the Punisher has come to a Marvel Studios movie until now, although the character already has a storied pre-MCU theatrical legacy.
Almost four decades ago, The Punisher marked the legendary vigilante's live-action debut in a 1989 movie starring Rocky IV actor Dolph Lundgren, which was released direct-to-video in the US and theatrically overseas. The movie's poster perfectly summarized the Punisher's mantra with the tagline, "Judge. Jury. Executioner. All in a day's work."
Fifteen years later, The Punisher rebooted Frank Castle in 2004, with Thomas Jane sporting the white skull and duel-wielding pistols in badass fashion on the poster. Jane later reprised the role in 2012's The Punisher: Dirty Laundry, a fan film short that acted as an unofficial sequel to the 2004 movie.
While Lionsgate Films was originally cooking up its own official sequel to Jane's The Punisher, it was later abandoned in favor of a reboot that cast the late Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone.
All of Jon Bernthal's previous appearances as the Punisher are available for binging on Disney+ ahead of his much-anticipated return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters on Friday, July 31. The movie also stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, and Tramell Tillman.
What's Next for Jon Bernthal's Punisher After Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
Looking beyond the Punisher's major role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there's no doubt that Jon Bernthal has a bright future ahead in the MCU. There is even a chance that Frank Castle leaves Brand New Day a changed man, toning down the brutality of his vigilanteism after spending some time with a PG-13 Spider-Man.
Scooper Daniel Richtman reported in May that Marvel Studios had already begun development on a new Punisher project after One Last Kill. It's easy to imagine it taking the form of a Special Presentation sequel, a full Disney+ revival series, or, if Marvel Studios listens to Bernthal, a brand-new Punisher movie.
Whatever medium the MCU launches the Punisher into for his next project, it is bound to get a significant boost from his role in Spider-Man 4. After all, Brand New Day has the potential to be one of Marvel Studios' biggest movies in years, which could unlock a whole new fan base for the Punisher and possibly justify giving him his own, R-rated action blockbuster in the MCU's next saga.
Marvel Television is reuniting all four of Netflix's Defenders next year in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 for the first time in a decade. Frank Castle was never part of the original vigilante team, and it appears that won't be changing, as there has been no indication that Bernthal will return to the Disney+ series.
There is always a chance that Bernthal filmed scenes for Born Again Season 3 behind closed doors (or rather bars), as Matt Murdock's recent prison incarceration perfectly set the stage for Daredevil and Punisher's reunion. However, nothing will be certain until the series returns on Disney+ next March.
