The Marvel Cinematic Universe was once known for greenlighting multiple sequels for a single hero's saga. Iron Man, Captain America, and The Guardians of the Galaxy each had a trilogy, while Thor is on his fourth movie (with rumors of a potential fifth chapter coming in the future). However, that has changed in recent years, especially when it comes to the newly introduced heroes.
The Eternals, She-Hulk, Werewolf, Moon Knight, Ironheart, and Shang-Chi are among the characters who have had a solo project but haven't returned in a sequel set in their own franchise yet. Besides, if it weren't for the Master of Kung Fu, we wouldn't even know whether these heroes will make a comeback of any sort at some point. Now that there isn't a guarantee that every single MCU project will be a box-office success, follow-ups are harder to come by. Fortunately, there are a few exceptions.
The Devil of Hell's Kitchen himself, Matt Murdock, returned to the MCU in a big capacity. His standalone series, Daredevil: Born Again, was renewed for a second and third season. Now, it seems yet another street-level character will follow in his footsteps.
Marvel is reportedly working on a new Punisher project after the One Last Kill special presentation
We just saw him massacre a lot of henchmen on the small screen, and he isn't stopping anytime soon. The Punisher: One Last Kill special presentation marked the very first project led by Frank Castle and developed by Disney (given that Netflix was responsible for creating his 2017 standalone series). Many were worried his character would be toned down, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. Not only that, but it seems Disney also has big plans in store for the violent antihero.
According to renowned insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel is currently working on a new Punisher project. Unfortunately, it wasn't specified whether it will be a movie, another Disney+ special presentation, or a proper TV series. But regardless of the format, we may have an idea of what this follow-up could be about.
The Punisher: One Last Kill was all about giving Frank a new purpose beyond revenge. Unfortunately, this new, noble cause may have big repercussions for Frank in the future. After all, he decided to let Ma Gnucci get away in order to save a family from suffering the same fate as his. So, who's to say that she won't come back for revenge against the man who made her a widow in the first place? As if that weren't enough, things could get even more unhinged for the Punisher thanks to yet another newcomer.
Actor Jamal Lloyd Johnson confirmed that he played the relentless villain Barracuda in The Punisher: One Last Kill. Granted, his character didn't have much screen time and never fought Frank Castle. With that in mind, it isn't far-fetched to think that Marvel simply wanted to set him up as a future antagonist in an upcoming project. Against all expectations, we could see the Punisher fight Barracuda in a project developed by Disney. What a time to be alive.
The actor behind Frank Castle, Jon Bernthal, stated that he would like to see more of his character in the MCU, but that he'd "have to be the one that’s making it." That means that Bernthal is likely to be creatively involved in the character's future after co-writing The Punisher: One Last Kill. So, it isn't far-fetched that he has a long-term plan for someone like Barracuda after setting up the villain's MCU debut.
Barracuda is one of the most cruel and vicious Marvel antagonists ever created. So, it makes sense for him to be Frank's next target. But regardless of whether these two characters will meet again in the MCU, The Punisher is bound to steal the spotlight soon. Not only will he have a role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it seems we'll be seeing more of him in another standalone project, and we wouldn't want it any other way.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is now streaming on Disney+.
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