Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Reportedly Could Be Back as Soon as AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
Jon Bernthal may already have another MCU appearance lined up for Frank Castle, and this one could put the Punisher right in the middle of Marvel’s next massive crossover.
According to a new rumor, Bernthal will return as The Punisher in Avengers: Doomsday, with the actor reportedly having filmed a scene set in a bar. Marvel Studios hasn’t confirmed his involvement, so this one belongs firmly in rumor territory for now.
The claim comes from scooper James Mack, who shared the information on his Patreon. MCU Film News later reported Mack's claim:
“RUMOR: Jon Bernthal will reportedly return as The Punisher in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY. He reportedly filmed a scene at a bar.”
A bar scene certainly sounds like a place where Frank Castle could comfortably enter the story. How he might connect to the larger events of Avengers: Doomsday remains a mystery, assuming the rumor proves accurate.
Bernthal recently appeared as the Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and Mark Ruffalo, so Marvel already has Frank Castle active in the MCU.
Bringing him into Doomsday wouldn't be much of a leap, especially as the film is currently undergoing reshoots.
The rumor also arrives as there are signs that another street-level MCU veteran could be heading back into action. Jeremy Renner, who last played Hawkeye in the 2021 Hawkeye series, recently posted a photo of Clint Barton’s costume on Instagram accompanied by the character’s theme music, teasing fans about a possible MCU return.
As for Bernthal, he definitely sounds interested in continuing Frank Castle’s story, but he wants to have a meaningful hand in where the character goes.
When previously talking about returning after Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Bernthal said: “I’m really down to keep doing more. But I think I have to be the one that’s making it.”
He offered another intriguing comment about Frank’s future saying: “The great thing about what we get to do is you never know what’s going to come next, and that’s something that I come to really embrace and love and celebrate. I don’t know what the next story is with Frank, but I know it’s out there.”
Maybe that next story arrives sooner than expected. Bernthal has turned Frank Castle into one of Marvel’s most intense and popular live-action characters, and seeing the Punisher cross paths with the Avengers could make for a crazy MCU moment.
A reported bar scene doesn't tell us much about the size of his role, but it could open the door to some interesting possibilities for the character.