Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle (Punisher) will receive his own Special Presentation on Disney+ in 2026, and Marvel Studios already chose a villain for the upcoming project. Notably, this big bad will be the eighth villain to be portrayed in a rebooted Netflix project. Daredevil: Born Again broke down the doors between Disney+ and Netflix in the world of Marvel. What started on the Netflix platform was finally brought over to Disney+. Technically, an entirely new show was created, but the continuity still respected what happened in Netflix's Daredevil.
Earlier in 2025, industry insiders reported that the Punisher's Special Presentation villain would be Ma Gnucci, a crime lord who had never been featured in live-action. When filming began, these reports were seemingly confirmed, as a woman in a wheelchair was spotted on set specifically filming scenes with Bernthal.
The actress portraying Ma Gnucci has not been officially announced. The woman in the set photos bears a resemblance to Oscar-nominated actress Chloe Sevigny, but an official casting has not been confirmed. No matter who will be playing the Punisher supervillain, her involvement in the Disney+ Special Presentation marks the eighth villain to be featured in a rebooted project from Marvel Studios that was once under the Marvel umbrella at Netflix.
For reference, Ma Gnucci went up against the Punisher in the comics and met a terrible fate. Specifically, at the Central Park Zoo, Punisher releases polar bears on Ma, which results in her scalp and all four limbs being ripped off. She survives, and the rivalry between her and Frank continues. The set photos of Ma Gnucci showcased her with all four limbs still intact. She also still had hair, so either the special will change her story, or the encounter at the zoo has not yet happened.
Many fans have been waiting for a Punisher-led project in the MCU since Marvel Studios acquired the rights to the Marvel content that was on Netflix. The character has been featured in other Netflix reboots, such as Daredevil: Born Again, and will appear in movies like Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Other Villains in the MCU's Netflix Reboot Projects
Kingpin
Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin) was definitely the most recognizable and notable villain in Netflix's Marvel shows, which is why so many Marvel fans begged Marvel Studios to bring the character into the MCU. Those wishes were granted, and Kingpin officially went on to serve as a major antagonist of Daredevil: Born Again, the first reboot of any of the Netflix shows.
Kingpin will continue to show up in Disney+ projects, such as Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, where he will oppose characters such as Matt Murdock, Punisher, and Jessica Jones.
Vanessa Fisk
Since her introduction in Netflix's Daredevil, Vanessa Fisk has increasingly grown more dangerous. As of Daredevil: Born Again, she has become a full-blown puppet master and crime boss, directly responsible for overseeing a significant portion of Fisk's operations now that he is the mayor of New York.
In Season 1 of Born Again, it was confirmed that Vanessa was the one to put the hit out on Foggy Nelson, making her even more ruthless. The fact that Vanessa can get Wilson to do anything she needs or wants makes her much more dangerous than anyone on this list.
Bullseye
Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter, also known as Bullseye, first appeared in Season 3 of Netflix's Daredevil series. However, at that time, he was not known as Bullseye. Instead, it served more as his villain's origin story, setting up his actions in Daredevil: Born Again.
In Born Again, Bullseye was the one who directly killed Foggy Nelson. Yes, Vanessa Fisk put the hit out on him, but Bullseye pulled the trigger.
Muse
Muse was a serial killer who served as a major antagonist of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. The person behind the mask was an artist who created pieces using the blood of his victims. By the end of the season, Muse was killed by Heather Glenn.
Luca
Another villain in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 was Luca. A criminal and leader of one of the Five Families, Luca made his presence felt throughout the show's first installment. At one point, Luca was even planning on killing Wilson Fisk. That obviously did not happen, though, and Luca was the one who was killed instead, at the hands of Buck Cashman.
Daniel Blake
Daniel Blake worked directly under Wilson Fisk at the New York City Mayor's office, showing unwavering support for him. Daniel's actions directly benefited Fisk multiple times throughout Season 1, which led to Daniel being promoted by Fisk.
The character is expected to return in Born Again Season 2, which is scheduled for release in 2026.
Mr. Charles
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 will not premiere until 2026, but fans already know of one antagonist who will be introduced in the upcoming episodes. Going by the name Mr. Charles, this villain will be played by none other than Matthew Lillard and does not display any fantastical abilities or superpowers. Instead, he will use politics as his weapon and directly go against Fisk.
