Jon Bernthal Says The Punisher's Future in the MCU Won't Be About Winning Over the "Hearts and Minds" of the Audience

In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we got to see the team-up and budding friendship of Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Frank Castle/The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal.

Castle has been mostly known as a lone wolf in each of his Marvel projects so far, and has never come off as warm, but Brand New Day did see him lower his guard to help Spider-Man, then step in to assist him in some action, and he showed up for him when he was at his most vulnerable.

Frank was even funny in a few scenes! So is this a new, softer trajectory for the character? Bernthal says no.

In a recent interview with Fandango, Bernthal explained: “I want to see how Frank can serve. I want to see how Frank can honor the dead, how Frank can honor the people that he lost by serving, not just by avenging.

“I think that we get there with Frank in some lines of the comic, and I want to get there. I want to get there on screen with him. I also want to continue to have the courage and the willingness to turn my back on the audience, as Frank does.

“There’s nothing about Frank Castle that he’s trying to be likable. There’s nothing about Frank where he’s trying to win over your hearts and minds.”

He went on: “As much as I would like to explore a Frank Castle that serves the community and that fights for justice, I also want to be completely willing and open to turning my back on the audience and going the other way with it, too.”

I don’t think Bernthal needs to completely take The Punisher in a light, new direction. That would feel weird and disingenuous. If he is mostly a hardened badass, who occasionally shows a tenderness toward the people he loves most, I think that would make the best sense and have the most impact.

We don’t know when we will see him again, but after Brand New Day, I’m sure it won’t be long.