Marvel Studios' new Punisher project is confirmed to include an unexpected connection to a core hero from the Defenders Saga, Iron Fist. Iron Fist was one of the most maligned characters in Netflix's set of Defenders-centric series, although many still hope he will get a chance at redemption under Marvel Studios' watch. While plans still are not in the cards for that to happen, Danny Rand's place in the universe is starting to come back into form.
Marvel Studios' upcoming Special Presentation for the Punisher will film in the area around Greenwood Cemetery in New York City. While plot details for this scene have not been unveiled, this cemetery has a tangible connection to Netflix's Iron Fist series, which ended after two seasons in September 2018.
X user @WarlingHD shared pictures of the area surrounding the Green-Wood Cemetery, which included multiple "no parking" signs explaining that filming was taking place there. Specifically, the signs are hanging on the corner of Vanderbilt Street and McDonald Avenue, which is right next to the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Fans will recognize Green-Wood Cemetery as the place where the Rand family tombstones sit in the Iron Fist series, marking the resting place for Danny Rand and his parents, Wendell and Heather, after their presumed deaths. Currently, there is no indication of whether this fact will make its way into the Punisher special, nor are there signs that Finn Jones will reprise his role as Iron Fist in the MCU.
The Punisher special is set to follow up on the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, which brought Jon Bernthal back as Frank Castle for the first time since Season 2 of his Punisher series on Netflix ended in 2019. While story details are still unknown, the Punisher is expected to fight a new female villain for the first time in 36 years. The Punisher Special Presentation is expected to come to Disney+ sometime in 2026.
Check out the images from the special's set below:
When Will Iron Fist Return to the MCU?
Over the past few years, Marvel Studios finally clarified any confusion on whether Netflix's Defenders Saga was canon to the core MCU timeline. Daredevil: Born Again's plot was changed to directly follow up on everything that came before it, and all the original Netflix stars were confirmed to have the chance to reprise their roles in future projects.
Most recently, Krysten Ritter was announced for a return to the MCU in Born Again Season 2, finally bringing her Jessica Jones back into the story since 2019's Jessica Jones Season 3. Joining Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Jon Bernthal's Punisher, the only characters from that saga left for Marvel Studios to unearth are Mike Colter's Luke Cage and Finn Jones' Danny Rand.
Born Again Season 1 included a nod to Luke Cage in its opening episodes, and ahead of Season 2, both Jones and Colter shared pictures from New York City, possibly teasing that they were filming new material. Colter has also changed his tone on a return in recent years, expressing an openness to reprise his role for the MCU. Jones has offered the same sentiment, publicly pleading with Marvel Studios to give him a second chance to do his mystical hero the right way in this new era.
For now, fans can only wait for more news on Jones and other legacy MCU actors, although there is hope that this will come to fruition sooner rather than later.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
