Fact-checked November 6, 2026, at 5:10 PM UTC. Jon Bernthal's connection to The Punisher is straightforward: he plays Frank Castle, the Marvel antihero known as the Punisher. Bernthal first portrayed Castle in the second season of Daredevil in 2016, then headlined the two-season The Punisher series. He returned for Daredevil: Born Again in 2025, starred in the May 2026 Disney+ special The Punisher: One Last Kill, and appeared in the 2026 feature film Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The 2026 projects give Bernthal's version of Castle a bigger presence in Marvel's screen stories. Importantly, the character does not appear in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, despite the special continuing his story alongside that season's events, according to Disney+. Bernthal is the actor who portrays the Punisher, not the creator of the original comic-book character.
Bernthal is the actor behind Frank Castle, a character who operates in the darker, street-level corner of Marvel's superhero world. Castle is a military veteran whose family was murdered. In response, he wages a relentless campaign against criminals. Unlike heroes who seek arrests or avoid killing, the Punisher frequently uses lethal force. That makes him an antihero rather than a conventional superhero, and it is central to his frequent clashes with Daredevil.
The skull emblem on Castle's chest has become his most recognizable visual symbol, but the character is defined less by a costume than by grief, trauma, vengeance, and the moral consequences of his methods. Marvel's own Punisher character guide describes Castle as an ex-Marine motivated by personal loss and his uncompromising idea of justice.
Bernthal's introduction came in Marvel's Daredevil Season 2 (2016). He did not originally launch as the lead of a separate Punisher show. Instead, Frank Castle entered Matt Murdock's story as a lethal vigilante whose methods challenged Daredevil's belief that even violent criminals should face a justice system rather than execution.
The contrast gave Bernthal a defining role: he could portray someone who was brutal and frightening while also making the character's psychological damage and pain visible. That tension helps explain why searches for the actor's name so often lead directly to The Punisher. The character then moved from an important supporting role into a series built around his own mission and personal history.
Here is the essential viewing timeline, with the projects in release order rather than a claim that every scene occurs in exactly this sequence within Marvel's fictional chronology.
| Release | Project | Bernthal's connection |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Daredevil, Season 2 | First portrayed Frank Castle as a major character opposite Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock. |
| 2017–2019 | Marvel's The Punisher, Seasons 1 and 2 | Headlined his own series exploring Castle's family tragedy and violent crusade. |
| 2025 | Daredevil: Born Again, Season 1 | Returned as Frank Castle in Marvel Television's Disney+ series. |
| May 12, 2026 | The Punisher: One Last Kill | Starred as Castle and co-wrote and executive-produced the stand-alone special. |
| July 31, 2026 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Appeared as Castle in the theatrical movie starring Tom Holland. |
Marvel's 2017 renewal announcement confirms the original Punisher series earned a second season after debuting on Netflix. Marvel and Disney now list its related shows among titles available through Disney+; current availability can still vary by region and subscription.
Yes. A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill debuted on Disney+ on May 12, 2026. Bernthal stars, but his involvement goes beyond acting: he co-wrote the script with director Reinaldo Marcus Green, and both served as executive producers. Disney's official behind-the-scenes interview explains that Bernthal developed the idea while working on Daredevil: Born Again.
The special asks what might remain of Frank Castle when revenge no longer provides a clear purpose. Judith Light appears as crime figure Ma Gnucci, who draws Castle into another dangerous confrontation. Disney+ lists the production as a stand-alone, approximately 50-minute presentation rated TV-MA in the United States, not a newly launched third season of the former Netflix show. The official Disney+ title page carries its cast, rating, and streaming information.
No. Although Bernthal returned in Season 1, Disney+ explicitly says Frank Castle does not appear in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. His story instead continues in One Last Kill, which Disney says takes place before and during Season 2's events. This distinction matters because older announcements and pre-release casting articles may suggest he would return during the season itself; the post-release Disney+ guide gives the clearer answer.
For viewers who mainly follow Frank Castle, watching the second season of Born Again is useful for the wider street-level setting, but One Last Kill is the direct continuation centered on him.
Yes. Bernthal is part of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios film released in U.S. theaters on July 31, 2026. Sony's official film page lists him in the cast alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Mark Ruffalo. The film brings Bernthal's TV-originated portrayal of the Punisher into a major Spider-Man feature.
There is a notable comic-book connection, too: the Punisher first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #129, published in February 1974, in a story written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Ross Andru. Frank Castle's association with Spider-Man is therefore part of the character's origins, not an invention of the 2026 movie.
Most importantly, he has played the same character over a full decade, moving from a dramatic conflict with Daredevil to his own series and then into newer Disney+ and film stories. His portrayal emphasizes Castle's anger and physical threat without erasing his grief. The relationship with Matt Murdock also gives viewers a clear moral contrast: two men trying to stop dangerous people, but fundamentally disagreeing about the limits of punishment.
Bernthal's writing credit on One Last Kill adds another dimension to that connection. He is not simply reprising a role when called back; he also helped shape the story of the special. That does not mean he owns the character or created it. Frank Castle has existed in Marvel Comics since 1974 and has been interpreted by other performers and writers.
The confirmed 2026 story includes One Last Kill and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. What happens beyond those appearances depends on future announcements from Marvel or its production partners. The title One Last Kill should not be treated as proof that Bernthal has permanently retired from the role, and interest in another movie or series is not the same as a confirmed production order. For reliable news, start with official Marvel television listings and Disney or Sony release announcements.
No. Bernthal is a screen actor who portrays Frank Castle. The character debuted in Marvel Comics in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 in 1974, decades before Bernthal took the role.
Both. Bernthal starred in the two-season TV series Marvel's The Punisher, the 2026 Disney+ special The Punisher: One Last Kill, and the theatrical movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Start with Daredevil Season 2 for his introduction, follow it with both seasons of The Punisher, then watch Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and One Last Kill. Spider-Man: Brand New Day shows the character on the big screen.
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