The Punisher TV Special in the Works at Marvel Studios, Jon Bernthal Set to Return and Co-Write Project

Jon Bernthal is set to make his long-awaited television return as The Punisher, aka Frank Castle, in Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again, debuting next month on Disney+. It also looks like Marvel Studios is gearing up another project for The Punisher starring Bernthal, per The Hollywood Reporter.

THR reports that Bernthal will reprise the role in a new Marvel Television special that’s currently in the works. Bernthal is also co-writing the project along with Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), who is also attached to direct.

Bernthal previously debuted as the character in Season 2 of the Daredevil TV series on Netflix, which later spun off into a solo series for The Punisher, also starring Bernthal, which ran for two seasons on the streamer. The iconic comic book character made his debut in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1974. The Punisher later grew into a famous popular character in his own right, who has made multiple appearances with his own live-action movies, video games, and animated appearances.

Dolph Lundgren previously starred in the live-action debut of the character in the 1989 feature. The character would get another chance at bat on the big screen in 2004 starring Thomas Jane with mixed results. A 2008 follow-up, Punisher: War Zone, starring the late Ray Stevenson, flopped with both critics and audiences. The critical reception of Bernthal’s Netflix series was largely mixed, but the actor has largely been positively received for his performance as Frank Castle, a United States Marine who becomes a ruthless vigilante after the brutal murder of his family.

Marvel Studios has previously released two streaming television specials, dubbed “Marvel Studios Special Presentations.” The first release was Werewolf by Night released in October 2022, followed by The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in December of that year.

Daredevil: Born Again, featuring Bernthal as The Punisher, debuts on Disney+ on March 4 with a two-episode premiere. The first season will consist of eight episodes. Production on Season 2 is also underway.