Ever since the Netflix series was canceled, we’ve been inundated with rumors about what the future holds for the Punisher as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even though Kevin Feige has yet to publicly mention any sort of vested interest in bringing Frank Castle back to our screens.
It’s stating the obvious to say that the violent vigilante simply wouldn’t work in a PG-13 setting, but the Marvel Studios head honcho also outlined in great detail why Deadpool 3 is the only feature film or television project on the docket that’s being explicitly designed with an R-rating in mind, which only serves to create more confusion as to the when, where, why and how of the Punisher’s return.
We’ve heard talk of Moon Knight cameos, an adult-orientated Hulu show, a spot on the Midnight Sons roster and more, with the only connective thread being the assumption Jon Bernthal will reprise the role. However, we’re now hearing from our sources – the same ones who told us War Machine was getting his own Disney Plus series long before Armor Wars was announced – that Marvel could be getting cold feet in regards to the Punisher following recent real-world events, and sweeping changes could be made to the character for him to fit in the modern day MCU.
There was the furor over a Capitol rioter sporting the iconic skull insignia, which was blasted by both Bernthal and comic book writer Garth Ennis, and introducing a revenge-fueled vigilante who operates outside of the law with a penchant for turning his enemies into mincemeat might not play too well amidst the current sociopolitical climate in some quarters. While those people fundamentally misunderstood what the Punisher was about, it could be causing consternation in the Marvel boardroom.
