The MCU's Punisher actor Jon Bernthal offered a powerful statement on the character ahead of his upcoming return in two projects. Jon Bernthal was cast as Frank Castle over a decade ago for his MCU debut in Daredevil Season 2, which led to him starring in two seasons of The Punisher. Years later, The Walking Dead star reprised his criminal-slaying anti-hero for Daredevil: Born Again, and will soon be back in The Punisher: One Last Kill (a one-hour Disney+ Special Presentation) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank, a 12-issue limited series that began in 2000 and was written by Garth Ennis, was recently reprinted as part of the Marvel Premier Collection. To celebrate the special release, Jon Bernthal offered a statement on the character in the foreword, over a decade after taking on the role, first explaining how the role has made him a "better man:"
"Frank Castle is not your typical hero. He is a family man who lost everything. He’s obsessed with vengeance, no matter the cost. He’s relentless and indomitable. I won’t pretend these elements don’t appeal to something deep and primal in me.
Getting to play a character who harnesses ferocity in service of a greater purpose, who channels devastating loss into unwavering action, has given me the chance to explore parts of myself honestly and openly. The journey has made me a better father, a better husband, a better man."
The MCU star explained why Castle, a marine veteran himself, means so much in "the veteran and first responder communities:"
"Soon after stepping into Frank’s boots, the veteran and first responder communities showed me the weight of what this character means. I understood immediately why Frank resonated so deeply with them. He embodies all that is righteous and good about these men and women — his commitment, his code, and his refusal to abandon the mission are the foundation of the great people who defend our freedom, and of who Frank is. They understand Frank on a profound level because his code mirrors their lived experience, but as I’ve spent more and more time with Frank, I’ve learned that what this community cherishes about the character appeals to something primal in all of us."
Bernthal declared that "there's a little bit of Frank in all of us:"
"Frank’s faith isn’t in institutions or systems. It’s in the memory of his family and the bond forged through shared struggle. That rawness, that refusal to look away from hard truths, that absolute commitment. We all recognize it because we’ve all felt it. Parents protecting their families see themselves in Frank. People who’ve suffered loss and needed to channel it into action see themselves in Frank. Anyone and everyone who’s taken a stand, large or small, to make things right sees themselves in Frank. We’ve all carried impossible weight. We’ve all had moments where we had to steel ourselves and push forward. There’s a little bit of Frank in all of us."
This year, the longtime Punisher actor is stepping up to a new role as the co-writer of Disney+'s The Punisher: One Last Kill special. In turn, he praised Gareth Ennis' work on Welcome Back, Frank as he "subverts the hero genre:"
"What Garth Ennis does with Frank is something I’ve tried to understand as an actor and now as a writer myself. Ennis doesn’t apologize for Frank. He subverts the hero genre by being comfortable with the ugly and gray side of heroism, finding truth in the sordid dust of desperation and anger.
'Welcome Back, Frank' doesn’t ask you to love Frank — it asks you to look at him clearly, without flinching. It asks you to see Frank in all his gruesome glory and then find that same primal motivation within yourself so you can go on that journey with him. Ennis evokes that side of you that wants to go as far as Frank does for what you believe in. It’s an exploration and journey of honesty."
The One Last Kill co-writer, star, and producer revealed the honor of "creating [his] own chapter in [Frank's] journey:"
"That honesty was my north star when writing and producing Marvel Television’s upcoming Punisher special. I got to try my hand at not just embodying Frank again, but also creating my own chapter in his journey. Ennis and Steve Dillon gave us a character with clarity of purpose and absolute commitment, someone who channels loss into action with brutal honesty. That ferocity and vulnerability is what makes Frank endure. It’s what I hope to bring to every version of him, whether I’m embodying him on screen or writing him on the page.
I’m grateful to everyone who created this character and gave me the opportunity to play him. Bringing Frank Castle to life has been one of the great honors of my career, not because of what it’s done for me, but because of what this character means to so many people."
Marvel Television recently revealed the first trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill ahead of its looming Disney+ premiere on Tuesday, May 12. After that, it won't be long until Frank Castle is back on screens in Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, marking his first theatrical appearance in over two decades and his first one ever under Bernthal and Marvel Studios.
Why Jon Bernthal Is Exactly What The Punisher Needs
Jon Bernthal has made it clear in the past that, even before returning to the MCU under Marvel Studios, he was "enormously protective" of the Punisher. It was that same vigor for Frank Castle that made him hesitant to be folded into the wider MCU, even turning down a return in Daredevil: Born Again until after the creative overhaul that promised to do justice to the character.
For some time, many fans were scared to see Castle and his dark backstory dimmed down for a PG-13 rating in a standard MCU blockbuster. However, Bernthal recently cleared up fears about Punisher's big-screen MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, indicating that he won't be dimmed down too far.
In many ways, Punisher fans are lucky to have somebody at the helm in Bernthal who is so invested in the character and takes on a strong creative involvement in his development, much like Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds. Bernthal's commitment to Castle will help ensure continuity in his character progression, even as he goes from project to project and writer to writer.
Having originally turned down a role in Born Again, Bernthal has made it clear that his commitment to the Punisher's integrity exceeds the money and potential for major roles. As such, fans can rest easy, knowing that his future is in safe hands, although what comes next for him after Brand New Day is a mystery for now.
