Jon Bernthal might have just teased the perfect story that I’d love to see explored in his upcomingMCUSpecial Presentation as thePunisher. We first sawThe Walking Deadstar Jon Bernthal appear as Frank Castle, a.k.a. the vigilante known as the Punisher, inDaredevilseason 2 on Netflix. The canonization of the Defenders Saga has madeBernthal’s Punisher an official part of the MCU. This allows him to return alongside Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio and more inDaredevil: Born Again, but this marks just the start of his exciting career in the MCU.
Frank Castle’s popularity inDaredevilseason 2 led to the development of his own Marvel Television spinoff series, and I’m thrilled to see that this has happened again. In February,Entertainment Weeklyconfirmed that Jon Bernthal’s work onDaredevil: Born Againbirthed a new story for thePunisher that will be explored in an MCU Special Presentation.I’m very excited about Bernthal’s morally-questionable vigilante being set up for a long and action-packed future in the MCU, and I think the actor just hinted at the perfect Marvel Comics storyline for the Disney+ special.
Jon Bernthal Teased Punisher (Vol. 2) #53 As Inspiration For His MCU Project
Jon Bernthal Shared An Image Of Marvel Comics' Final Days Story Arc
Jon Bernthal has now played the Punisher for almost a decade, which means he knows the character inside out, and is likely the best man for the job when writing and producing a Special Presentation for the vigilante. It’s no surprise Bernthal has knowledge of some of the Punisher’s best stories from Marvel Comics, including one that he recently teased could be the inspiration for his upcoming Special Presentation.Jon Bernthalshared an image of the cover of1991’sPunisher (Vol. 2) #53, which kick-started theFinal Daysarc that ran for seven issues.
Penned by Mike Baron and Hugh Haynes, theFinal Daysarc in Marvel Comics was a small-scale and grounded story that I would love to see adapted into a Special Presentation for the Punisher in the MCU. Jon Bernthal will be returning inDaredevil: Born Againprior to embarking on his own adventure, and will seemingly be sent on a mission byMatt Murdock’s Daredevil. This could lead directly into the Punisher’s Special Presentation, and the down-to-Earth nature ofFinal Daysfits Bernthal’s interpretation of the beloved antihero.
Punisher’s Final Days Would Be A Great Story To Explore For A Dark Special Presentation
Punisher’s Final Days Ran For Seven Issues In 1991
The first issue of the Punisher’sFinal Daysarc,Punisher (Vol. 2) #53, saw Frank Castle take down a group of drug pushers at an underground lab and learn that Howard Nees, the notorious and murderous criminal and former CPA, was the supplier.Nees had a reputation for also disrupting the plans of Wilson Fisk, which spurred Kingpin to employ the help of the Punisher to take down Nees. Fisk does this by kidnapping Castle’s ally, Micro, which motivates the Punisher to kill Nees, but this gets the vigilante embroiled in an even bigger plot by the Kingpin.
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This story is small-scale, low-stakes, contained, grounded, gritty and dark, so I think it would be perfect as the inspiration for a Special Presentation focused on Frank Castle.Final Dayscovers all the bases for the Punisher, showing how morally ambiguous he is, how easy it is for him to kill, how fervently he’ll fight to protect his friends, and demonstrating the more villainous nature of others in New York City. There’s no big flash inFinal Days, so I reckon this story arc would fitMarvel’s hour-long Special Presentation formatand be a remarkably strong reintroduction to Frank Castle.
MCU’s Punisher Special Presentation Could Bring Back A Fan-Favorite Defenders Saga Character
The Punisher’s Best Ally Has A Key Role In Marvel Comics' Final Days
David Lieberman, a.k.a. Marvel Comics' Microchip, plays a huge role in theFinal Daysstoryline as he is taken captive by Kingpin as leverage to get Frank Castle’s Punisher under his control. Known asMicro in 2017’sThe Punisherseries, David Lieberman became a steadfast ally to Frank Castle as the pair teamed up to protect Lieberman’s family, uncover the conspiracy that caused Castle’s family’s death, and allow Micro to return after his death was faked.A Special Presentation inspired byFinal Dayscould bring Micro back to the MCU, despite his former actor’s new role.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s first Marvel role was as David Lieberman’s Micro inThe Punisher, but we’ll soon see him recast asBen Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, in 2025’s upcomingThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. This is a much larger role for Moss-Bachrach in the MCU, but given the CGI nature of the Thing’s appearance,there’s nothing to stop the actor also appearing as Micro in a new Special Presentation. AdaptingFinal Dayswould also pit thePunisheragainst Wilson Fisk after their confrontations inDaredevilseason 2 andDaredevil: Born Again, which I would be very excited to see.
