Jon Bernthal says there's "always hope" for The Punisher to return
The actor played vigilante Frank Castle across two Netflix shows.
Jon Bernthal has addressed the possibility of returning as crimefighting vigilante The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The acclaimed actor debuted in the role in Daredevil, before spinning off into his own solo Punisher series, which ran for two seasons before being cancelled with the rest of Netflix's Marvel slate.
Fans heaped praise on the Bernthal's interpretation of the character, which is widely considered the best adaptation of the comic books yet, following three critically panned movies.
Nonetheless, there's yet to be any official indication that Frank Castle could reappear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although Bernthal still has "hope" that it could happen one day.
While appearing as a guest on Geek House Show, Bernthal addressed the possibility of reprising his role and voiced his enthusiasm for the idea.
He said: "There's always hope, you know? It's unbelievably humbling how much people sort of responded to this version of Frank, and I can't tell you how much it means to me, because he means so much to me and he's in my blood, he's in my bones.
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"So it's not about whether we do it, it's about getting it right, and doing the version that the fans really deserved, and we'll see."
Of course, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a sprawling project that encompasses numerous blockbuster movies and upcoming Disney Plus shows, so the fate of The Punisher is not in Bernthal's hands alone.
The former star of The Walking Dead added: "All of those decisions are made in rooms I am not invited into, you know – and that's okay with me. I've got great stuff going on, I'm enormously blessed to have as much work that's exciting to me and fulfilling for me.
"But Frank's always there, he's always a part of me. And when we get the call to go, I'll be ready, and I'll make sure that I do everything I can to make sure that we do it right, or we won't do it at all."
This year is the first since 2009 to see not a single Marvel Cinematic Universe release, following lengthy delays to Black Widow and Eternals caused by coronavirus.
The franchise will return in January with WandaVision on Disney Plus, which sees Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprise their roles as the Scarlet Witch and her android partner.
WandaVision premieres on Disney Plus on 15th January. Sign up to Disney+ now for £5.99 per month or £59.99 for a full year. Check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus and best shows on Disney Plus, or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
