10 Best Punisher Comics That Could Inspire Jon Bernthal’s MCU Special

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The Punisher is set to arrive in Disney+ Special Presentation format. That means Marvel Studios can redefine Frank Castle in the MCU context and for broader audiences who might find the violent character less-than-palatable despite Jon Bernthal’s ballyhooed Netflix portrayal. Luckily for Kevin Feige, Brad Winderbaum and company, no shortage of innovative Marvel Comics exists to help successfully bring the polarizing Punisher character back into the MCU.

Giving The Punisher an MCU spotlight doesn’t just boast exciting potential regarding the franchise moving forward and the potential comics that can be tapped to adapt. Marvel can mine storylines like Becky Cloonan’s NYC blackout thriller, David Lapham’s philosophical clash between Punisher and Daredevil, or Matt Fraction’s post-Civil War pivot through a post-Devil’s Reign-inspired MCU landscape following Daredevil: Born Again. From his initial confrontations with organized crime to his recent reinventions as leader of the Hand, The Punisher’s best comics provide a fertile ground for exploration, particularly within the ever-expanding MCU.

9

The Punisher’s Post-Civil War Comic Run Could Be Easily Adapted

Writer Greg Rucka Forced Frank Castle To Rethink His Approach

Matt Fraction’s Punisher: War Journal (2006-2009) reinvented Frank Castle during and after the Civil War event in a Marvel landscape that criminalizes vigilantes. Castle unexpectedly adopts patriotic imagery following the death of Captain America and focuses his efforts on a war against white supremacist groups. Fraction pits The Punisher against villains like Hate-Monger, a clearer-cut encounter for Castle, where his methods feel warranted against such reviled enemies.

“Power doesn’t come from terror. Power comes from ideas and you, cracker trash, don’t have any.” – Punisher to neo-nazi villain Hate-Monger

Though his red-white-and-blue persona has a slim chance at making it to the small or silver screens (Sam Wilson has inherited the mantle and shield in the MCU), the corrective approach The Punisher takes still works perfectly for addressing what Daredevil: Born Again established with NYPD officers misusing his iconography. An MCU Special Presentation could show Bernthal’s Castle discovering extremists have claimed his symbol, driving him to target these groups specifically. This could be appealing for Marvel Studios to adapt for myriad reasons; it gets to keep the character authentic while positioning him against antagonists that contextualize his brutality for broader audiences. By focusing on Castle fighting against hate groups, his crusade might be considered more accessible within the new character’s Disney+ parameters.

8

Ravencroft Sets Up A Perfect Contained MCU Punisher Outing

Marvel’s Arkham Asylum Creates An Ideal Kingpin-Punisher Showdown

Frank Tieri’s Ravencroft (2020) mini-series dropped Frank Castle into Marvel’s answer to Arkham Asylum, the eponymous Ravencroft prison for the criminally insane, where monsters, baddies, and psychopaths lurk. The five-issue thriller positions Kingpin as the mastermind behind the facility, operating and overseeing from the shadows to undermine his greatest threats. The arc would be a fascinating character study of Castle, imprisoned and labeled inmate 616, confined in a claustrophobic battleground.

Besides, the MCU groundwork for this adaptation already exists, with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk consolidating power in Daredevil: Born Again. As Mayor, Ravencroft can become a dubious detention center to expand his criminal empire in plain view, an institutional black site for imprisoning enemies like Jon Bernthal’s Castle. The single-setting story is the perfect inspiration for the Special Presentation format. With Ravencroft not yet explored in the MCU, the premise also delivers a new wrinkle of lore.

7

The Punisher: The Cell Shows Frank Through His Enemies’ Eyes

An Innovative Perspective Flips The Traditional Punisher Formula

Garth Ennis and Lewis LaRosa’s one-shot The Punisher: The Cell (2005) flips the proverbial script, swapping out the Punisher’s narration and, instead, observing Frank Castle through the eyes of villains. The self-contained saga follows imprisoned mob bosses, safe in protective custody, grappling with the news Castle has gotten himself arrested on purpose to reach them.

“I turn myself in on a cold October morning…no fight, no explanation.” – Frank Castle in The Punisher: The Cell

What makes this comic especially interesting to adapt is how the different perspectives change how audiences might see The Punisher. The idea of an MCU entry that first introduces The Punisher as rumors shared among prisoners, then as a haunting shadow lurking in dark corners, and finally as a killer of criminals could add an almost slasher-flick-style flair to the MCU mythos. By showing The Punisher as a specter-like hand of fate, Marvel could create something that feels like a thriller movie while reintroducing the character to audiences.

6

Daredevil vs. Punisher: Means & Ends Showcases Clashing Vigilante Philosophies

David Lapham’s Street-Level Showdown Spotlights The Two Marvel Icons’ Morally Gray Nature

David Lapham’s Daredevil vs. Punisher: Means & Ends pits Marvel’s premier street-level vigilantes against each other during a power vacuum in Hell’s Kitchen. A similar tet-a-tet was depicted in earlier seasons of Daredevil on Netflix. This six-issue mini-series explores the colliding moral constitutions of Marvel’s two most notorious street-level crime fighters in a new light, following what happens after Kingpin’s demise, which leads to a power vacuum.

The story is packed with potential that one could easily imagine Charlie Cox and Jon Bernthal salivating over. In the arc, Matt Murdock makes the shocking decision to anoint himself the new “Kingpin” of crime—deciding he’s better off controlling the criminal underworld than perpetually fighting against it. The jaw-dropping turn places him squarely on a collision course headed straight towards Frank Castle, who cannot relinquish his appetite to eliminate the entire criminal body in New York City. With Daredevil now firmly nestled in the MCU continuity, the upcoming Punisher Special Presentation format could be the perfect chance to showcase this tightly focused conflict, especially if Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin gets dethroned before it eventually hits Disney+.

Garth Ennis’s Other Essential Punisher Story Brought The Character Back

Garth Ennis’ The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank (2000) utilized intense violence and dark humor to bring Frank Castle back to life following a challenging period for both the character and Marvel Comics. The late 1990s saw Marvel file for bankruptcy and The Punisher fading into obscurity after disastrous, needlessly supernatural storylines that turned him into a literal dark angel of vengeance. Ennis, largely considered the quintessential Castle writer, alongside artist Steve Dillon, stripped away the mysticism and dragged Castle back down to earth, embracing his roots as a brilliant, albeit deranged, veteran and vigilante.

“I caught a glimpse of heaven once. The Angels showed me. The idea was I’d kill for them. Clean up their mistakes on Earth. Eventually redeem myself. Tried it. Didn’t like it.” — The Punisher, The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank

The 12-issue saga wasn’t bashful about the meta-textual acknowledgment of its place in Marvel’s landscape at the time—using storylines and cheeky commentary to lambaste past missteps. The MCU Special Presentation also arrives at an MCU low point, pitting the Punisher against a familiar challenge. Daredevil: Born Again recently attempted to strike a similar balance of reverence for its Netflix past paired with hope for its MCU future despite entering the fray amid a mixed-at-best Phase 5 reception. Welcome Back, Frank could allow Bernthal’s Punisher to unabashedly reenter the MCU landscape when it sorely needs fresh perspectives. Ennis’ take on The Punisher—his penchant for brutal action and gallows humor—could inform a clever spin on the character as Marvel tries to connect him to the wider Marvel Universe.

4

Explore Microchip With Punisher Vol. 8 and “The Final Days”

An Opportunity for Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Return

This run delivers one of the most compelling portrayals of Microchip, the Punisher’s tech-savvy ally. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s performance in The Punisher received acclaim, and this could inconspicuously double-cast him in the MCU now that he’s playing The Thing in Fantastic Four: First Steps—a role masking him under Ben Grimm’s orange rock form. Two arcs in particular, each featuring Microchip more prominently than most storylines, offer intriguing possibilities for the Special Presentation. Punisher Vol. 8 takes place during the larger Devil’s Reign event, serving as much of Daredevil: Born Again​​​’s inspiration.

After being killed by a corrupt agent of SHIELD, Microchip is resurrected by The Hood using supernatural means. The Hood’s dark magic corrupts Lieberman’s revived form, turning a trusted tech supporter into a cold-blooded triggerman hunting his former partner. The forced betrayal gives Castle a heartbreaking target—his oldest ally. Alternatively, The Punisher: The Final Days arc could fit the bill here. The storyline was recently hinted at as a potential target for adaptation by Bernthal, who posted a panel to his Instagram account. The MCU adaptation potential burns hot here, with Microchip kidnapped and tortured by Kingpin, who looms large in the MCU these days.

3

Punisher Vol. 11’s NYC Blackout Could Be An Intriguing One-Off Inspiration

Becky Cloonan’s Purge-Style Story Makes Sense For Singular Storytelling

Becky Cloonan’s 2016 Punisher run featured a standout issue where a citywide blackout in New York created the perfect conditions for crime to run rampant–and for Frank Castle’s brand of justice to run free. The storyline cleverly confines The Punisher to a limited timeframe and setting; Castle races against the clock to take action before the criminal scum, busy taking advantage of the pitch black, goes back into hiding once power is restored.

“The cockroaches always come out when the lights go off.” – The Punisher (Vol. 11) #14

The issue’s contained nature speaks perfectly to the singular storytelling style MCU Special Presentations require. Adapting this would allow for a fast-paced, action-driven installment unfettered by the elaborate world-building responsibilities that hamstring so many Marvel entries. Yet, it could also keep in conversation with Daredevil: Born Again‘s events, forcing Castle to protect citizens from New York’s most savage criminals running amok while Mayor Wilson Fisk scrambles—or doesn’t—to find a solution to the power outage.

2

Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe Could Make For An Outrageous What If…? One-Shot

Garth Ennis’s Alternate Reality Tale Offers MCU Crossover Potential

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe is one of the most audacious alternate reality stories in Marvel Comics history. Penned by Garth Ennis, the standalone, non-canonical arc finds Frank Castle avenging his family as he usually does, with one glaring difference—they are killed, not by mob violence, but as collateral damage during an Avengers battle. Published in 1995, the one-shot subsequently tags along Castle’s methodical killing spree of every superpowered person in the Marvel Universe, hero and villain alike.

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Though fans might be disappointed in a non-canonical—or multiversal— Punisher installment arriving in the MCU ahead of an earnest, more connected franchise entry, it could make for a riotous Special Presentation in the vein of projects like What If…? There are also ways to tinker with the tale to make it more apiece with MCU goings-on. A Special Presentation could reimagine the premise with Bernthal’s Castle tapped by the TVA to take out variants of established MCU heroes and villains, allowing for cameos while maintaining the source material’s essence and MCU continuity.

1

Jason Aaron’s Punisher Run Could Reinvent The MCU Punisher

Frank Castle Trades Gunplay For Swordplay

Daredevil: Born Again was the first MCU-set tease that The Punisher’s mission was fundamentally misunderstood. It revealed a cell within the NYPD that incorrectly adopted a more malignant brand of justice to enforce their nefarious deeds and perpetuate their corruption. It’s not unfamiliar territory for Punisher comic book readers, who have seen similar thematic explorations and cultural conversations about Frank Castle’s place in the real-world zeitgeist over the past few years. Given the character’s troubling misinterpretations in both the Marvel canon and the real world—most presciently his kill policy and stance on guns—it’s possible a drastic shift in Punisher depiction is en route to the MCU.

Jason Aaron’s Punisher (2022-2023) could be a great roadmap for the MCU Special Presentation if the goal is reinvention. The arc boasts plenty of tweaks to the traditional Punisher approach. The saga is ripe for the picking depending on how far Jon Bernthal, who will co-write the upcoming MCU Special Presentation, wants to push the character away from his norms. Aaron’s arc follows the Punisher’s journey to Japan, where he takes on a new role as leader of the Hand, notably trading his firearms for a sword as his weapon of choice and undergoing a logo redesign. The run can be a blueprint for keeping Punisher an unrelenting force but evolving him into one who operates within a different moral and mythological code. Whether the MCU adopts elements of this transformation or merely uses it as a tonal reference, it’s compelling source material if Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum want to leave Frank Castle’s days of straightforward, gun-toting vigilantism behind.

“}]] MCU fans should pay close attention to these Frank Castle comics ahead of the upcoming Punisher Special Presentation.  Read More