What it Would Take for Jon Bernthal to Play Wolverine in the MCU

John Bernthal addresses the fandom’s desire to see him return as the Punisher or play Wolverine, explaining what it would take for him to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following his breakout role in AMC’s The Walking Dead and films like Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Bernthal first appeared as Frank Castle aka The Punisher in season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil, before starring in a solo series from 2017-2019. Before the streamer canceled its Marvel shows, The Punisher, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones were considered some of the best comic book adaptations available.

Marvel Studios now exclusively owns the rights to characters like Frank Castle and Matt Murdock, and fans continue to speculate how/when the Punisher and Daredevil will appear in the MCU. The latter, in particular, has been at the center of this conversation with Charlie Cox rumored to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home. If Cox’s character does appear, his Daredevil would presumably lead the charge on the implementation of other fan-favorites like Bernthal’s Punisher. This same genre of discourse applies to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, which brings the X-Men and Fantastic Four under the umbrella of Marvel Studios. If Bernthal doesn’t reprise his beloved role, fans have also expressed an interest in seeing him pick up Hugh Jackman’s claws.

In an interview with Forbes, Bernthal discussed his recent roles in Small Engine Repair, The Many Saints of Newark, FX/Hulu’s anthology series The Premise, and, of course, a recurring onslaught of Marvel-related questions. When asked about the Punisher appearing in the MCU, the actor expressed ignorance regarding any future plans but admitted he’d be open to reprising the role if it was done so in a way worthy of the character and fans, a sentiment consistent with his answer to whether he’d considered playing Logan/Wolverine. Read what he had to say below:

“Look, the criteria in which I sort of decide what I'm doing next is: Does the script move me?, Who am I working with?, Who is the filmmaker and is that somebody I'm dying to work with? I'm going to hold onto that moving forward no matter what that is. I get it, I get that the Marvel questions, you're asking these questions because it's super important to a lot of people; people love these characters and I get that and I come to that with absolute respect. What I will tell you again is that Frank Castle is in my bones. Frank Castle is in my bones.”

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castlestanding in the shadows in The Punisher

In the same interview, Bernthal talked about humbling an experience playing the Punisher was and how grateful he is for it. In addition to what Frank Castle means to the comic book, law enforcement, and military communities, the character resonants with Bernthal as a father and husband. Bernthal embodied the Punisher in a way similar to Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine. Despite success outside of those roles, many consider their iterations of comic book characters as definitive. That being said, both the Punisher and Wolverine will surely be seen in the MCU. However, it’s unlikely Bernthal, who is commonly associated with another Marvel character, will be cast to replace Jackman.

It would be a mistake if Marvel Studios didn’t capitalize on the enthusiasm that surrounds both Bernthal and Cox, who has also said he can’t imagine anyone else as Frank Castle. Regarding Bernthal’s criteria, the studio continues to hire some of the best talent in the industry and the days of believing a blood-soaked Punisher can’t exist in the MCU are over. It’s already been announced that an R-rated Deadpool 3 is in the works and that less family-friendly will release content on Hulu rather than Disney+. Claws and regenerative abilities aside, there’s still a chance Bernthal can bring his ferocious, heartbreaking, yet nuanced Punisher to the MCU in a film or series.

More: If Daredevil Returns To The MCU, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Must As Well

Source: Forbes