According to a recent rumor, Marvel Studios is apparently looking to shake things up with 2026’s The Punisher Special Presentation by introducing a female villain for Jon Bernthal’s titular character to battle.
While plot details regarding the forthcoming special remain under wraps at the moment, the project will continue Frank Castle’s journey after he escaped from Kingpin’s captivity in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and will seemingly see him take on a female antagonist.
The Punisher special rumored to be casting a female boss villain
According to scooper Daniel Richtman, Marvel is presently looking to recruit an actress to feature as the big bad for The Punisher Special Presentation, which will hit Disney+ in 2026.
Taking to his personal Patreon page, Richtman stated, “For ‘The Punisher Special, they are currently casting a female crime boss as the villain.” While the update indicated that the MCU is ready to introduce a new trajectory for Frank Castle, the noted insider failed to specify what character the former Marine veteran would be fighting in the said special. Richtman also refrained from adding any artist’s name to his report.
With little to no information regarding who could be the mysterious female villain in The Punisher Special Presentation, MCU fans have started to draw speculations of their own. Two comic book characters who seem to fit Richtman’s description include Lady Tanaka and Ma Gnucci.
Notably, viewers have already seen Jon Bernthal’s Punisher fight the Gnucci crime family in the Netflix series, with Castle gunning down several members of the clan in Season 1 of the show.
Jon Bernthal will not only reprise his Marvel role in Disney+’s Punisher special but will also make an appearance in the second season of the Charlie Cox-led Daredevil: Born Again. Both projects are expected to hit the small screen around March 2026.
