With other of his Netflix counterparts now back, a new social media post has sparked speculation that Jon Bernthal will be returning as The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 5. Known for his breakthrough role as Shane in The Walking Dead, Bernthal gained further recognition for his portrayal of Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher, originating the role in Daredevil season 2. Bernthal went on to star in his own eponymous spinoff on Netflix as the vigilante who aims to clean up Hell's Kitchen's criminal underworld by any means necessary.

Since Netflix canceled The Punisher along with all their Marvel series, Bernthal has gone on to lead a quietly successful career, recently starring in the films King Richard and The Many Saints of Newark, and the series We Own This City and American Gigolo. Meanwhile, Bernthal's Defenders-Verse co-star, Charlie Cox, has already made the jump back to the MCU with a Spider-Man: No Way Home cameo and an extended appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Cox's Matt Murdock is also expected to cameo in Echo before his own solo series, Daredevil: Born Again, arrives on Disney+ in 2024. However, there hasn't been as much talk about Bernthal returning as The Punisher, until now.

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A recent post on social media has sparked speculation about Bernthal's Punisher coming back to the MCU in Phase 5, which begins with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The post comes from an unknown actor, Kasey O'Keefe, who uploaded a photo of himself next to Bernthal on Instagram. In the image's caption, O'Keefe praises Bernthal as a "tremendous actor" and writes, "Looking forward to working with you during Marvel Phase 5!" Check out the post above:

How Jon Bernthal's Punisher Could Make His MCU Return

Jon Bernthal in Marvel's The Punisher

First off, O'Keefe's post about Bernthal's postential Punisher return in MCU Phase 5 should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. The actor's Instagram page is littered with pictures of him and various stars – such as Jessica Chastain, Jason Sudeikis, Allison Janney, and Bradley Cooper – with captions expressing vague hopes of working with them in the future. Having said that, if Bernthal is actually returning during the MCU's Phase 5, it would likely be in the Daredevil: Born Again series given Punisher's obvious ties to Daredevil from the Marvel Netflix shows.

Before Daredevil: Born Again, Bernthal's Punisher could also cameo in the Echo series, especially if Matt Murdock appears in a similarly small role. Given Punisher is a street-level vigilante, he seems best suited for a Phase 5 Disney+ project like the Echo or Daredevil series, which follow street-level heroes rather than the upcoming cosmic stories of Ant-Man, Ms. Marvel, and others. However, only time will tell if Bernthal's Punisher is actually returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 5.

Next: Best Ways To Bring The Punisher Into The MCUSource: Kasey O'Keefe/Instagram

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