The Punisher, whose real name is Frank Castle, is a fictional antihero from Marvel Comics. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru, he first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #129 in 1974. Castle is portrayed as a vigilante who employs lethal methods to combat crime, driven by the tragic murder of his wife and children by the mob. A former U.S. Marine, he utilizes his military training in his relentless war against criminals.
The character has been adapted into various media forms, including films and television series. Notably, Jon Bernthal portrayed Frank Castle in the second season of the Netflix series “Daredevil” (2016) and reprised the role in the spin-off series “The Punisher” (2017–2019). Bernthal is set to return as the Punisher in the upcoming Disney+ series “Daredevil: Born Again,” scheduled for release in 2025.
In “Daredevil: Born Again,” Bernthal joins returning actors Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. The series aims to blend elements from the original Netflix adaptation with new narratives for the Disney+ audience.