NEW YORK, NY – August 5, 2025 – Newly released set footage confirms Jon bernthal’s return as Frank Castle/The Punisher in a brutal fight sequence for an upcoming Marvel special Presentation. The footage, captured during filming in Brooklyn, New York on July 28, 2025, offers a first look at the character’s violent re-emergence following his escape from captivity in the upcoming *Daredevil: Born Again* series.
Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher Returns with Intense Action
The leaked set video, shared on X by user @_DaredevilShots, showcases Bernthal engaging in intense hand-to-hand combat and utilizing a baseball bat in a sequence filmed near a staging area utilizing school buses. Bernthal is seen wearing an olive green sweatshirt during the filming. The fight choreography appears particularly visceral,hinting at the character’s signature brutality.
Another leaked scene depicts Castle opening fire on adversaries from within a vehicle before aggressively entering Ma Gnucci‘s restaurant, located at a temporary set constructed on 35th street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. These sequences are directly inspired by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon‘s critically acclaimed 2000-2001 *Punisher* comic book arc, “Welcome Back, Frank,” which centers on Castle’s relentless pursuit of the Gnucci crime family.
Set photographs have confirmed the inclusion of Ma Gnucci, portrayed by actress Maria Dizzia, though her depiction differs from the comic book source material. While the comic version of Ma Gnucci suffers the loss of all her limbs, this adaptation shows her seated in a wheelchair with all limbs intact.This change is speculated to allow for a more nuanced portrayal of the character and her continued influence within the criminal underworld.
Frank Castle’s return follows his escape from imprisonment at the hands of Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) in *Daredevil: Born Again*,which is slated to premiere in March 2026. It remains unconfirmed whether Castle will reappear in *Born Again* following the Special Presentation.The Special Presentation is co-written by Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, with Green also directing. The narrative will continue Castle’s ongoing conflict with the anti-Vigilante Task Force, established in previous Marvel television series.
Bernthal previously confirmed the Special Presentation will remain true to the character’s dark and violent roots. “It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness… It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that.”
The punisher Special Presentation is scheduled for release on Disney+ in 2026. Bernthal is also confirmed to reprise his role as Frank Castle in *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*,scheduled for theatrical release on July 31,2026,marking a significant integration of the Punisher into the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe.
