Jon Bernthal is working on a Punisher special at Marvel Studios.

Marvel TV boss confirmed in an interview with Comicbook (that’s since been removed) that Jon Bernthal is developing a Punisher special for Marvel Studios. This would release on Disney+.

It’s being co-written by Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will also direct. It will air in 2026, alongside S2 of Daredevil: Born Again.

“Bernthal is a generational actor,” Brad Winderbaum says. “He’s incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he’s a great writer. He knows the character inside and out…. Also, I love Punisher, but I love Jon’s Punisher in particular. The idea that he’s in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever.”

“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story.”

Marvel Studios introduced the Special Presentation format as a way to tell shorter, standalone stories within the MCU without committing to a full-length series or film. This format debuted with 2022’s Werewolf by Night, which explored the darker, supernatural side of Marvel, followed by The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which served as a lighthearted epilogue for the Guardians before Vol. 3.

Before stepping into his own special, Bernthal is already confirmed to reprise his role as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again. The highly anticipated Disney+ series is set to bring back Charlie Cox as Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, reuniting several key figures from the Netflix era of Marvel shows.

While Marvel has remained tight-lipped about Castle’s role in the series, early speculation suggests he may serve as either an ally to Daredevil, and even be assigned a mission by him. The Punisher’s last major appearance was in the second season of The Punisher on Netflix (2019), which ended with Castle fully embracing his vigilante identity.

Given Marvel’s recent rewrites and creative overhauls for Born Again, it’s unclear how large of a role Frank Castle will play, but his confirmed return suggests the studio sees a future for the character beyond just one series.

Jon Bernthal is currently filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in Morocco, where he’s rumored to play a major role alongside Matt Damon. You can see his alleged new look for that film here.