The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine, one that constantly releases new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next upcoming Marvel movie hitting theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will pair Tom Holland's hero with both The Hulk and Jon Bernthal's Punisher. The latter actor recently spoke about what it would take to get him to return as Frank Castle yet again, and after his recent work on One Last Kill and The Bear, I think Kevin Feige and company should relent.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order, as well as the TV shows, were thrilled when Bernthal returned as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again. He's since appeared in the special Punisher: One Last Kill, and was featured in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer. During an interview with Esquire the 49 year-old actor spoke about continuing as his signature MCU character, saying:
I’m really down to keep doing more. But I think I have to be the one that’s making it.
Sign me up. While an actor asking for control of their own future in the MCU might sound like a big ask, Jon Bernthal's resume speaks for himself. Because in addition to his decade playing Punisher in the MCU (starting with Daredevil Season 2), he's also gotten behind the camera. He co-wrote the script for One Last Kill, which was received well by critics upon its release on Disney+ this month. The Walking Dead star has a deep understanding of his signature character, and has writing experience that should allow him to create compelling new stories.
Jon Bernthal also flex both his acting and writing talents on The Bear's bonus episode Gary (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription). That episode served a prequel to the main series, and was written by Bernthal and his co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach. It was an emotionally powerful episode of television, and once again proves the actor's ability to write for characters that he's passionate about. So why not let him be a creative force behind his next appearance as Frank Castle in the MCU?
Of course, it's possible that Bernthal is also hoping to direct whatever comes next for his beloved Marvel character. Whether or not that's a game changer for Kevin Feige and company remains to be seen, but he's got the star-power and resume that I think has earned him some creative control over Punisher. Hopefully the studio agrees.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is streaming on Disney+ now, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Plus Gary is streaming now. Clearly Jon Bernthal has been keeping busy as of late.
