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Jon Bernthal Has One Condition To Play The Punisher Again In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

By Ryan Scott

May 23, 2026 7:45 am EST

Giovanni Rufino/Marvel Studios

Jon Bernthal is, for a great many Marvel fans, the Punisher. Several actors have played Frank Castle over the years, but virtually ever since he was cast as the character in "Daredevil" Season 2 (which was basically "Daredevil vs. Punisher"), there's been a certain excitement surrounding his portrayal of the Marvel Comics anti-hero. But will Bernthal reprise the role again in the future? At the very least, he's willing. Under the right conditions anyway.

In a recent interview with Esquire, Bernthal discussed his role as Frank Castle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in honor of the debut of the violent, stylish "The Punisher: One Last Kill" special on Disney+. When asked whether or not he's open to playing the character again in the future, Bernthal explained that he's open to it but only if he's creatively involved beyond merely being an actor for hire. Here's what he had to say about it:

"I'm really down to keep doing more. but I think I have to be the one that's making it."

This echoes comments Bernthal made in the past before he returned as the Punisher to the MCU, beginning with his time in "Daredevil: Born Again." It's worth noting that the actor is also part of the cast of this summer's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." In 2021, Bernthal said that he was open to returning as the Punisher if he could "do it right." A lot of that commentary, undoubtedly, stemmed from the fact that "The Punisher" solo series on Netflix wasn't exactly met with an overwhelmingly positive response, to put it politely.

In terms of "One Last Kill," Bernthal had a much bigger hand in crafting the special. He served as an executive producer and co-writer, in addition to starring in it. Reinaldo Marcus Green ("King Richard") directed it.

Jon Bernthal wants creative control over the Punisher's future

Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

Seemingly, for Jon Bernthal to do more as Punisher in the MCU in the future, he wants more creative control. Does him "making it" mean that he wants to be a director? For what it's worth, Bernthal doesn't currently have any directing credits to his name. At the very least, he likely wants to continue producing and writing any Frank Castle stories he's involved with.

The response to the "Punisher" Disney+ special has been generally positive. "The Punisher: One Last Kill" fixed a lot of the big issues fans had with the Netflix show. There was some questionable CGI, which became a major subject of conversation on social media. That aside, it seems as though having Bernthal in the driver's seat, creatively, was good for the titular character.

"I really wanted to show what do you do when you dedicated your life to something and there's just nothing more to do," Bernthal explained in the same interview about the special. "It's super dark. It's like a super f*****g dark thing. [.] We're in a place where I do think that this is the level of psychological complexity and just blunt violence that the fans really want for this character."

Indeed, "One Last Kill" is, tonally, far more dark than much of what we've seen in the historically PG-13 MCU. But Disney and Marvel Studios have been doing more R-rated fare lately. It certainly doesn't hurt that 2024's "Deadpool & Wolverine" was a billion-dollar hit at the box office. So, the powers that be are more likely to let Bernthal lean into the Punisher's darker side in the future, in the even that they collaborate on more projects.

"The Punisher: One Last Kill" is streaming now on Disney+.