The Marvel Netflix era was an exhilarating time to be alive for fans of the Marvel Comics characters. Not only were the shows incredibly unique with their dark, grim, and grounded presentation, they offered an alternative to the typical light-hearted, family-friendly projects that the MCU provided at the time. It was very much implied that they took part in the same shared universe as the big-budget films that were breaking box office records, but it also skirted the edges of that world in a way that it rarely acknowledged its existence within it. Now, Marvel Studios has officially confirmed that they are canon to the franchise.
Daredevil is arguably the greatest of them all, and Charlie Cox's crime-fighting hero has crossed over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially, appearing in film Spider-Man: No Way Home and TV shows She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and Echo, while Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin appeared in the latter and Hawkeye.
Naturally, speculation has continued as to whether any of the other Netflix heroes will get their own projects, and now Marvel has confirmed that it's finally going to happen for one of them.
Jon Bernthal to headline Punisher Special Presentation for Disney Plus
Marvel Studios has officially confirmed that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as The Punisher in a Special Presentation for Disney Plus. The head of Marvel Television, Animation, and Streaming, Brad Winderbaum made the announcement during an interview with ComicBook.com, discussing the character's compelling motivations and his tragic backstory - all of which would be explored in the special.
Bernthal is already set to make his official MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again. Set photos during the production of the first season showed him alongside Charlie Cox's Man Without Fear, with the trailer officially confirming his comeback. It's unknown what kind of role he will play, but it will no doubt be great to see him share the screen with Cox's Matt Murdock once again.
His impending return in the upcoming special is news that fans have been waiting for for some time. In recent months, the studio has teased that another Special Presentation would arrive in the future, marking the studio's third use of the format. It comes after 2022's Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - both of which were very well-received by audiences.
Also known for his role as Shane in AMC's The Walking Dead, Bernthal made his Marvel debut as Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, in the second season of Netflix's Daredevil back in 2016. He then reprised the role for his own series, which ran for two seasons before the eventual cancellation of the Marvel Netflix franchise. That ultimately set in motion Marvel Studios' takeover of the projects, welcoming its characters into the MCU some years later.
The character's arc in the second season of Daredevil has been very well-received, but it didn't get the season's whole focus, which left some stones unturned in terms of story development. With that in mind, there is certainly scope for another project to delve into it. While The Punisher could certainly headline another show in the future, the fact that he's about to headline his own special is just too sweet.
Here's hoping that Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, or Luke Cage could get their own in the future too!