If Daredevil Returns To The MCU, Jon Bernthal's Punisher Must As Well

Charlie Cox's Daredevil is rumored to return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that means that Jon Bernthal's Punisher needs to as well. After the collapse of Marvel TV and its partnership with Netflix on multiple Marvel shows, it seemed any hopes of those characters joining the MCU were over. However, Phase 4 could be in a position to change that based on various rumors. The most prominent rumor is that Daredevil star Charlie Cox will play Matt Murdock again in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The possibility of Daredevil joining the MCU has re-opened the discussion about what Marvel Studios could and should do with the Netflix characters/actors. It is widely expected that any actor who reprises their role will do so in a soft reboot form. This gives Marvel Studios the chance to keep great actors in the roles without worrying about the canon of the Netflix shows and feeling the need to re-use all of the actors. Charlie Cox's Daredevil has long been at the top of fan's wishlists to join the MCU, as his performance was one of the highlights of the Defenders universe. The Man Without Fear's potential MCU role, starting with Daredevil being the lawyer in No Way Home, has sparked rumors about other people from the Netflix shows returning too.

If Daredevil is returning to the MCU, then Jon Bernthal's Punisher must follow suit. For all of the praise that Cox's performance as Daredevil received, Bernthal's version of Punisher was near as universally loved. His debut in Daredevil season 2 was so well-received that Marvel and Netflix fast-tracked The Punisher spinoff show. Bernthal has no idea what the future holds for him and if he'll play Punisher again, but that doesn't take anything away from what he's done as Frank Castle already. With all signs pointing to Marvel Studios acknowledging Cox's beloved version of Daredevil, that at least should increase the likelihood that fans haven't seen the last of Bernthal's Punisher.

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castlestanding in the shadows in The Punisher

While Daredevil's return to the MCU opens up the door for any Netflix character to do the same, Punisher makes sense as one to bring back sooner than later. Frank Castle was directly tied to Daredevil's story and corner of the universe, with Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) even playing a major role in The Punisher. Marvel Studios might reboot their stories and these past connections, but the MCU versions of Daredevil and Punisher should still be closely tied together. Daredevil season 2 showed their great ethical and moral dichotomy, so the MCU could build upon that with Punisher's more lethal tendencies contrasting Daredevil's vigilante style.

Jon Bernthal's possible MCU return as Punisher doesn't appear to be imminent at this moment, and Marvel could wait a bit longer to feature a gun-toting anti-hero. There are plenty of upcoming projects that could bring Frank Castle back, though. Punisher would be a fun surprise appearance in Moon Knight opposite Oscar Isaac's Marc Spector. Frank Castle could even return in a very different place than The Punisher viewers would expect if he finds his way into Armor Wars and wears the War Machine suit. There's even the possibility down the road for Punisher to join the likes of Moon Knight, Blade, Doctor Strange, and others in a Midnight Sons team in the MCU.

MORE: Theory: Spider-Man 3 Has Two Daredevils (Including A New MCU Version)