Exclusive: Punisher R-Rated Movie In Development
A new R-rated Punisher movie is currently in development, and with that, there is the hope that will see Jon Bernthal cast as Frank Castle.
This article is more than 2 years old
Charlie Cox has cemented himself as Daredevil within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Especially considering that he had a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He is also reportedly coming to the She-Hulk series. That left many wondering where that leaves the other the second-best Marvel series character, the Punisher. Jon Bernthal wowed fans across the world with his expert portrayal of Frank Castle, but news has been quiet on his further involvement in the MCU. Well, now we are happy to report through a trusted and proven source that there is an R-rated Punisher movie currently in development at Marvel.
Will Jon Bernthal return? Unfortunately, our scoop has not confirmed that, but it would make total sense for the man to reprise the role. Jon Bernthal, Charlie Cox, and Vincent D’Onofrio are the best cast of their respective characters. Both Cox and D’Onofrio have reprised their roles in further Marvel shows and movies. But now it is time to bring Bernthal back. Though the series gave the man his due respect considering Frank Castle was as bloodthirsty and hellbent on revenge as he was in the comics, he still needs his official MCU entry. Bernthal has the most experience in films aside from D’Onofrio, so it stands to reason that he would continue his character portrayal of the Frank Castle in the new R-rated Punisher movie.
We reported a year ago that Marvel had plans to reboot Punisher with Jon Bernthal reprising his role in either a newly crowned series or film. It would be a bit of a disservice to not bring in the man that elevated the character in live-action. Thomas Jane was a good Frank Castle, but he also didn’t hold the gravitas and brutality that Bernthal can exude with his acting ability. Considering this is going to be an R-rated Punisher movie, there needs to be someone who can truly bring the violence of Castle’s tactics to the big screen. That person always was and always should be Jon Bernthal.
Netflix and Marvel ended their relationship with one another when Daredevil, Punisher, and Jessica Jones were not renewed. The rights to those shows and characters then reverted back to Marvel only, which is owned by Disney. However, all the shows ran into issues on the Disney+ platform, as they are of the more adult type of content. Scenes were altered and parents became furious with the strict parental controls that had been implemented due to the adult content of shows like Daredevil and Punisher. Because of this, the new R-rated Punisher movie might find its home on a more forgiving platform like Hulu or HBO Max. Also, there could be a theatrical release that could tie into the new Daredevil film or vice versa. Note that this is just speculation though. Our source only shared that a Punisher movie is in the works, and that it will be R-rated.
Punisher was a fantastic series that lived a short life on Netflix. Disney is likely not going to be ok with releasing an R-rated feature on Disney+, so there must be a workaround for bringing the film to a more adult platform, apart from a theatrical release. Jon Bernthal was always meant to portray Frank Castle, and he proved that during his run as the character. With a newly R-rated Punisher movie coming out, Bernthal should be the only choice to take on the role of Marvel’s most brutal tactician on the big screen.
