Jon Bernthal is back as the Punisher in the newly released Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again and is opening up about the upcoming special centered entirely on the antihero.
Bernthal first began playing Frank Castle/Punisher, a grieving father-turned-vigilante, on Netflix’s version of Daredevil in 2016, then going on to star in his own Netflix series The Punisher from 2017 to 2019. With Daredevil now revived at Disney+, he makes an appearance on Born Again, and it was announced at the end of February that he would be headlining a Punisher special for Marvel Television. Bernthal is currently cowriting the standalone special alongside Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will also direct. The Disney+ show will air in 2026 alongside the second season of Daredevil.
At the SXSW premiere of his new movie The Accountant 2 on Saturday, Bernthal told The Hollywood Reporter of the upcoming project, “I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve. We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity.”
When asked how it would compare to the Netflix show, Bernthal responded, “It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness. It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be,” adding, “It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that.”
Bernthal is currently focused on The Accountant 2, a sequel to 2016’s thriller about a math savant (played by Ben Affleck) who, on the side, works as a freelance accountant for dangerous criminal organizations. Bernthal stars as his estranged and dangerous brother Brax.
The sequel has had a long journey to the screen, as Bernthal noted, “Ben and I were talking, it’s always walking down the street, people mention the things that you do and people always talk about The Accountant. It seems to be a movie that has a real following and it really struck a chord with so many people. I’m really glad that it did, it’s bringing me back with people I really love.”
Affleck echoed that he also got lots of feedback about the first film. “Initially I was surprised almost; it was successful, but it wasn’t a billion-dollar movie or something. I think streaming and the way that streaming took off in these nine years has helped this movie because people have access to a lot of stuff and can kind of choose,” he said. “This seems to have a life along the way, which is what I am really counting on, that fondness for the first movie will help us with this one.”
“I think this is a better movie, I really love it, and I’m hoping that people really show up and see it,” he continued. “And yes, I definitely kept the faith and it was something that had a bunch of fits and starts, so it was more frustrating that we should have done this before, but I think we’ve benefitted from intervening years. I hope to do a third one before another nine years go by.”
The Accountant 2 will hit theaters on April 25.
Original Source: Read More Here
