The Punisher‘s cancellation was understandably met with a considerable amount of backlash, but it wasn’t like we didn’t see it coming, with star Jon Bernthal even saying he was “at peace” with the possibility of it happening after season 2 premiered. Not to mention that after Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Daredevil all got the ax by Netflix, Frank Castle’s chances of survival were slim to none.
Still, given how popular the show and Bernthal’s take on the antihero is, fans have long asked themselves if there’s a chance we may see the Punisher again one day down the road. From what we understand, it’ll be at least a few years before any of the Defenders can show up in any non-Netflix production, but that doesn’t mean they can’t ever appear again in a future Marvel movie or TV show.
In fact, according to sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones who told us Disney was developing an Aladdin sequel and Marvel was bringing Black Knight into the MCU, both of which were later confirmed – Kevin Feige wants Jon Bernthal to return as Frank Castle in future MCU films. It’s unclear which projects the Marvel Studios head wants him in, but one movie that we’ve heard the Punisher could appear in is the rumored Midnight Sons pic.
Now, we’ve also been told that if the Defenders shows end up being resurrected on FX or Hulu – which is still an option – Bernthal would continue to play Castle on the small screen, too. Kind of like how Ms. Marvel is getting her own TV series but will also feature in the MCU movies as well.
We should note though that nothing is set in stone just yet and as always, the studio’s plans can quickly change. But for the moment, at least, we can tell you that Feige definitely wants to bring the Punisher to the big screen and if it happens, it’ll be Jon Bernthal back in the role. And how exciting is that?
