THE PUNISHER Special Presentation Starring Jon Bernthal happening

[Autbot_Benz]

Marvel Studios has only released two Special Presentations, and both were superb. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Werewolf by Night received rave reviews but two and a half years after they first hit Disney+, we're still waiting on more.

What looked like it might have been a failed experiment for Marvel Studios (neither was cheap to produce and we're not privy to streaming numbers) is now making a grand return according to Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum.

Talking to ComicBook.com about Jon Bernthal's return as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again, he revealed that "[Bernthal] is working on a special presentation with us about that character."

Yes, we're finally getting a solo The Punisher project in the MCU!

There's no word on who will write and direct the special, when it will be released, or what it's about. Common sense says it will boast the same TV-MA rating as the Man Without Fear's Disney+ debut and chances are it's going to set the stage for a new series revolving around the vigilante (assuming he factors into Marvel Studios' plans for multi-year TV shows).

The Punisher Special Presentation could also lead him into another Marvel movie or TV show as Frank is a big part of Spider-Man's world, for example. Remember, there have also been vague hints about The Punisher being in Spider-Man 4.



"I think there’s a reason why that character has resonated as deeply and strongly as he has," the actor previously said of The Punisher's long-awaited MCU debut. "In the hearts and minds of comic book fans and first responders and people in the military and people all over the globe. I think there’s a little bit of Frank Castle in everybody. He exists very strongly inside me and I care about that character deeply."

"I also know that it’s absolutely essential that if we do it, we do it right and we have real sacred integrity to the source material and to what is at the core of Frank," Bernthal continued. "I’m gonna do my absolute best to make sure that, if and when we do it, we do it right."

A Special Presentation for The Punisher should be relatively cheap to produce and could even be shot while Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is in production. Hopefully, it's being fast-tracked because the more of Bernthal's Frank we see in the MCU, the better.

It's unclear how connected to the wider MCU these street-level characters will be; they may start showing up in movies or be what Marvel builds its streaming projects around, similar to when they were on Netflix.

Either way, the future now looks bright for Daredevil and The Punisher...

https://comicbookmovie.com/tv/marvel/the-punisher/the-punisher-special-presentation-starring-jon-bernthal-officially-moving-forward-at-marvel-studios-a216448#gs.k0u962

[Andrew NDB]

Great news. This must be the fruit of those rumors about there already being a new Punisher Disney+ show in the works even sight unseen of Born Again.

[Autbot_Benz]

Star Jon Bernthal will co-write the script with his We Own This City director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who is also on board to helm the Special.

"It's like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story," Winderbaum tells the site. "It's so exciting."

Winderbaum reveals that the idea for a Punisher standalone story manifested during production on Born Again, which will see Matt Murdock enlist his ultra-violent former ally for a mission Daredevil is "unwilling to do" (exactly what this dirty deed is remains to be seen).

"Bernthal is a generational actor," Winderbaum adds. "He's incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he's a great writer. He knows the character inside and out.... Also, I love Punisher, but I love Jon's Punisher in particular. The idea that he's in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever."

Plot details are still under wraps, but we may have a better idea of what to expect after we see Born Again. Social media reactions to the first two episodes landed late last night (click here to check them out).

The Punisher Special Presentation is expected to premiere in 2026 along with the second season of Born Again.

https://comicbookmovie.com/tv/marvel/the-punisher/punisher-special-presentation-details-revealed-jon-bernthal-to-co-write-with-director-reinaldo-marcus-green-a216462#gs.k1avnk

[Andrew NDB]

Bernthal is co-writing it? He's not exactly known for any writing but I've listened to him talk at great length about a great number of subjects and I wouldn't be adverse to it at all.

[Autbot_Benz]

https://i.imgur.com/RSVrFWA.png

[Andrew NDB]

Clearly being fast-tracked... it's already filming:

https://www.darkhorizons.com/the-punisher-special-begins-filming/

[Andrew NDB]

Some more info:

https://www.darkhorizons.com/the-punisher-special-sets-may-release/

And it's called "Punisher: One Last Kill."

[Autbot_Benz]

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[Andrew NDB]

I know it's only about an hour but it's a pity they didn't try and put it into even a limited theater release. I'd go.

[nidza_maj2000]

This will be first time that Disney produced stand alone Punisher project for their streaming service, because his show on Disney Plus was originally on Netflix before being on Disney Plus

[Andrew NDB]

So it's... fine. But it's not much.

First of all, it neither makes any sense as a post-Born Again season 1 thing or sets anything up in Spider-Man 4. Why would he retire (again) to a new apartment that isn't his lair in Born Again season 1 and regrow his beard (again) when Kingpin and the AVTF that just kicked his ass is out there? It wouldn't even work as an immediately pre-Born Again season 1 thing since that would just mean he'd re-retire.

It's best to look at it as Bernthal's version of "Dirty Laundry." There is virtually no story here and the people he kills are just cardboard cutouts (and oddly all wearing masks? maybe so we can't tell they're recycling the same 5 guys? or was this a Disney censorship thing?). There's some "good kills" here but I didn't really feel anything and nothing comes as close as, say, the unsettling gym fight scene in Punisher season 2.

So yeah. It's OK, just don't expect anything grand. The couple of cameos weren't real, just in his head. Taking out the Gnucci family happens in quick flashbacks, not in the present. And Ma Gnucci herself isn't laid a hand on which might suggest she's being saved for a new Punisher show or something.


Also, probably one of the worst sound mixes I've ever heard. I had to turn my sound bar to the absolute maximum and I still could barely hear what anyone was saying, and then that made the music and sound effects way too loud.

[nidza_maj2000]

So it's... fine. But it's not much.

First of all, it neither makes any sense as a post-Born Again season 1 thing or sets anything up in Spider-Man 4. Why would he retire (again) to a new apartment that isn't his lair in Born Again season 1 and regrow his beard (again) when Kingpin and the AVTF that just kicked his ass is out there? It wouldn't even work as an immediately pre-Born Again season 1 thing since that would just mean he'd re-retire.

It's best to look at it at Bernthal's version of "Dirty Laundry." There is virtually no story here and the people he kills are just cardboard cutouts (and oddly all wearing masks? maybe so we can't tell they're recycling the same 5 guys?). There's some "good kills" here but I didn't really feel anything and nothing comes as close as, say, the unsettling gym fight scene in Punisher season 2.

So yeah. It's OK, just don't expect anything grand. The couple of cameos weren't real, just in his head. Taking out the Gnucci family happens in quick flashbacks, not in the present. And Ma Gnucci herself isn't laid a hand on which might suggest she's being saved for a new Punisher show or something.


Also, probably one of the worst sound mixes I've ever heard. I had to turn my sound bar to the absolute maximum and I still could barely hear what anyone was saying, and then that made the music and sound effects way too loud.
I will watch it later today but it looks like Jean was not in this? So all this scoopers that said she is in it and that this will setup BND movie were wrong than, I will see is this special good maybe

[cammy85]

I wasn't feeling it either. But I do see some of what it was trying to do. (no spoilers)

[Andrew NDB]

I noticed this, too. Check out the clip here:

https://comicbookmovie.com/tv/marvel/the-punisher/fans-are-convinced-the-punisher-one-last-kill-featured-a-scene-with-unfinished-vfx-as-clip-goes-viral-a227807?fbclid=IwY2xjawRxijtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjB mFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeGjAtN6HRkCdm59A iHznUCsbGJ81Sx7pOEW5Zq2MY-3mbfDU14d5Ymp76iN0_aem_kcdE90cxEH5xdpaCpijhug

Jon Bernthal turns into Joel from Last of Us (the game, not the show) here.

I will watch it later today but it looks like Jean was not in this?

Nobody was in this. The only thing that MIGHT tie into Spider-Man 4 would be if

Punisher in Spider-Man 4 somehow starts with him still chasing after and/or dealing with Ma Gnucci, who isn't harmed at all in this Punisher movie. As a loose end, before he becomes entangled in the Spider-Man 4 events. Like, he's about to kill Ma Gnucci at the beginning and Spider-Man (or Jean Grey) stops him, or something. Then Scorpion bursts in and things go sideways.

The sole purpose of this Punisher "movie" was definitely to put it out there for the people not super familiar with the Punisher and those not really familiar with the Netflix shows (for which it repeats many beats) to build him up to get people even more excited for Spider-Man 4. This doesn't exist without him being put in Spider-Man 4 and we'd have just gotten him throughout a possibly slightly less sh**ty Daredevil Born Again season 2 if not.

[Andrew NDB]

Also, probably one of the worst sound mixes I've ever heard. I had to turn my sound bar to the absolute maximum and I still could barely hear what anyone was saying, and then that made the music and sound effects way too loud.

Evidently the audio mix thing is a known issue and a big gaffe.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/marvel-punisher-one-last-kill-vfx-mistake-1236594755/

I skimmed over the rough audio parts just now and it sounds like they've fixed them. Though that dodgy Joel-in-Last-of-Us CGI shot is still untouched as of this moment. I'm seeing like a hundred articles about it now so I bet they're going to fix it.