Marvel Cinematic Universe star Jon Bernthal breaks down where the upcoming The Punisher Special Presentation fits into the franchise timeline.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Bernthal explained how much attention to detail went into crafting the new The Punisher special, all while giving fans a major update on where it fits in the MCU timeline and how it ties back into another major release. “There will also be this Punisher special that’s coming out, that I think will be as high-octane Punisher as you’ve ever seen.”
“I think what was really important to me and to [director] Destin [Daniel Cretton] and to Tom [Holland] is that we believed that The Punisher could walk off of the Spider-Man set and could walk onto the special set, and I do believe that we achieved that.”
Marvel Studios’ The Punisher special is currently expected to arrive in 2026 sometime after the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31. The special will follow Bernthal’s titular antihero as he wages war on the violent, street level criminals of New York City. Thanks to a whole host of set photos from The Punisher, fans even think they know exactly who Frank Castle will be going up against, assuming the allusions to the Gnucci family hold true.
Back in July, a series of set photos from The Punisher were released, each of which showcased a different grimey corner of NYC. One of the biggest stand-outs from these images was a shot of Gnucci’s Restaurant, which seemingly points towards the malevolent Isabella “Ma” Gnucci taking center stage as the special’s primary antagonist.
The ruthless crime lord Ma Gnucci made her comic book debut in the pages of 2000’s Punisher #4 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Apart from commanding one of the most powerful crime families in the city, Ma Gnucci had sunk her hooks into the mayor’s office and even the NYPD by way of the commissioner himself.
Over the course of her comic book career, Ma Gnucci not only launched several devastating attacks against the Punisher, but suffered more than most because of it. On top of being tossed to a pack of hungry polar bears following a confrontation at the Central Park Zoo, Ma and the rest of her family were left for dead within their own burning home after their final battle against the Punisher.
What Role Will Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Play in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
The Punisher looks stoic while wearing his iconic vestImage via Marvel Studios
Before he makes his way back into the spotlight in his own special, the MCU’s Frank Castle will be showing up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, though it isn’t quite clear in what capacity just yet. In the comics, The Punisher and Spider-Man have frequently faced off against one another, especially during the former’s early appearances.
This would make sense in the MCU considering how vastly different Frank’s approach to fighting crime is compared to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. That being said, the Punisher won’t be the only potential problem facing the MCU’s Wall-Crawler in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as both Mac Gargan a.k.a the Scorpion and Lonnie Lincoln a.k.aTombstone (as portrayed by Michael Mando and Marvin Jones III, respectively) will be making their own appearances in the film, undoubtedly to add another layer of explosive tension to whatever battles Spider-Man is already fighting.
Marvel Studios’ Punisher special is currently expected to arrive on Disney+ some time in 2026.