Update: Dawson has since clarified her statement from C2E2, posting a tweet to say that she received her information from fans and not an official source:
The original article as it ran before this information is below.
The MCU has had a lot of success with their various Disney+ series, but long beforeMoon KnightandMs. Marvelwere defending the small screen, street-level Marvel heroes’ home was on Netflix. One of the platform’s most popular series wasThe Punisher. Now three years after that blood-soaked adaptation ended, former Marvel starRosario Dawsonhas revealed thatThe Punisheris “happening again.”
Dawson revealed the news during a panel at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) this weekend. It’s not much to go off of, but Dawson played Claire Temple across most of the Netflix Marvel shows includingDaredevil,Luke Cage, andThe Defenders. She was essentially Netflix’s version of the Marvel character Night Nurse. However, one of the few shows she didn’t make an appearance on wasThe Punisherwhich the actress acknowledged. It sounds like Dawson wants to change that and appear in the potential new series.
Netflix’s version of The Punisher made his debut in the second season ofDaredevilbefore spinning off into his own series in 2017.Jon Bernthalplayed the iconic violent hero whose performance Dawson also praised during C2E2. If there was an image next to the definition of pitch-perfect casting in the dictionary, Bernthal’s Punisher would be it. Although the series only lasted two seasons, it was up there withDaredevilin terms of its masterful quality. The show was everything a Punisher fan could ask for — it was brutal, bloody, and emotionally intense, and Bernthal’s performance was brilliant. Since Bernthal’s breakout role as this iconic character, the actor has been in high demand starring in films likeFord v Ferrari,Those Who Wish Me Dead,King Richard, and series likeWe Own This City.
RELATED:Every Disney+ Marvel Show Ranked, Including The Defenders Saga
It shouldn’t be that surprising thatThe Punisherwould be coming back in some form in the MCU given the SDCC news thatCharlie Cox’s Daredevil would return in a new 18-episode series titledDaredevil: Born Again. Another clue wasThe Punishermoving to Disney+ along with the other Marvel Netflix seriesearlier this year. It’s unknown if Bernthal would return as Dawson’s words are not an official announcement, but it’s probably a safe bet given how celebrated the actor is and that Cox andVincent D’Onofrioare both returning forBornAgain. Maybe The Punisher will even come full circle and make his MCU debut in the upcomingDaredevilseries as he did in his Netflix incarnation. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more news onThe Punisherwhen D23 happens next month.
It will be interesting to see if Marvel Studios is willing to match the hard R-rated tone of the Netflix series. However, until we learn more — like if Bernthal or Dawson would return — you can binge the originalPunisherseries on Disney+ now. Check out the clip of Dawson discussingThe Punisherat C2E2 down below.
