New details have emerged regarding the Jon Bernthal MCU Punisher special.
It was announced in February 2025 that Bernthal’s Frank Castle/The Punisher will return in a new Marvel Special Presentation. Plot details about the projects have remained under wraps, and it’s not yet clear if it will air before, during, or after the second season of Daredevil: Born Again.
What is the update on the Jon Bernthal MCU Punisher special?
According to Nexus Point News, the Punisher MCU special is expected to begin filming in mid-July in New York City. Production is expected to continue until the first week of August. This means that the shoot will likely begin shortly after Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is finished filming, as that is expected to wrap production in the coming weeks.
The article further notes, “Plot details are currently under wraps, but it is likely to follow Frank Castle as he escapes Wilson Fisk’s private prison. In May, insider DanielRPK reported that a female crime boss was being cast for the series. NPN can corroborate this rumor as casting for this character is currently underway. Character details hint at this crime boss being Punisher villain, Ma Gnucci.”
Created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Ma Gnucci made her Marvel Comics debut in 2000’s The Punisher #5. Ma is the head of a mafia family and has a vendetta against Frank after he kills three of her sons; this vendetta quickly escalates when, following an interaction with Frank, she’s mauled by a group of polar bears and loses all of her limbs.
Reinaldo Marcus Green and Bernthal are both writing the Punisher MCU special, with Green directing. A Disney+ release date has not yet been set, though it is expected to arrive at some point in 2026.
It was also recently announced that Bernthal will reprise his Punisher role in Marvel Studios‘ Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which arrives on July 31, 2026.
