BY MATT TUCK
With all the enthusiasm for Punisher to join the current MCU, there’s plenty of speculation surrounding his second coming. That could impact these key first meetings between Frank and the rest of the Marvel Universe.
Last year, Marvel/Disney made it official: Jon Bernthal will return to the MCU as The Punisher. His first order of business will be the new Daredevil Disney Plus series, Born Again. Reportedly, Marvel will try to match the gritty tone of the Daredevil Netflix show, which is good news for Punisher fans. Once that show wraps, where will it leave Frank? That is the exciting part.
MCU fans are anxiously awaiting Bernthal’s Punisher to mingle with Marvel’s established stars. That will have collectors buying up the related keys. As I noted in last week’s post, one of the most anticipated meetings will be Punisher and Moon Knight, which occurred in Punisher Annual #2, but there are plenty of other options as well.
We’re already seeing a sales boost for Captain America #241 where Frank and Steve Rogers crossed paths. Then there’s Punisher’s Vietnam run-in with Logan in Punisher: War Journal #6. With Deadpool & Wolverine rumored to have practically every cameo you could think of, it’s not unrealistic to think Bernthal could make an appearance, and that would raise awareness for Deadpool #54 featuring the Merc with a Mouth first meeting The Punisher.
What does the future hold for Frank Castle? It all depends on how tightly Disney holds the reins. The trouble is this is not a PG character, and forcing him to fit into a family-friendly action-comedy would be a disaster. What could be Punisher’s saving grace is Deadpool & Wolverine. Being Marvel Studios’ first R-rated movie, its success could lead to more mature films and shows, which might lead to a bloody, mature on-screen Punisher. In turn, that will lead to bigger returns on your comic investments.