It turns out Daredevil isn’t the only one getting born again. Ahead of Daredevil: Born Again premiering on Disney Plus next week, the incoming and highly anticipated relaunch of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen’s exploits has already gotten itself a spin-off — and it’s exactly the one fans would’ve asked for.
Say what you like about Iron Fist or whatever was going on with the plot of The Defenders (something about dragon bones, right?), but Netflix’s Defenders Saga was unarguably an impressive achievement — 13 seasons of interconnected TV released across just four years — and now that these street-level heroes are fully integrated into the MCU, there’s endless opportunity for Marvel to give them all a time to shine. And now we know they’re already working on doing just that.
Frank Castle fans, this is the news you have been waiting for.
The Punisher Special Presentation is coming to Disney Plus in 2026
Born Again isn’t even out yet and it’s already starting a brand-new Defenders Saga. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is due to return for at least a cameo in the new series, and it turns out that will act as a precursor to his very own Disney Plus project coming in 2026.
Specifically, Bernthal’s gun-toting vigilante will be back for a Special Presentation — a one-off streaming special — that the actor himself will co-write. Bernthal is collaborating with King Richard‘s Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will co-write and direct.
“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story,” Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s head of television, revealed to Entertainment Weekly. “It’s so exciting.”
That’s about all we know about this project as yet, although Winderbaum confirmed that the idea evolved naturally out of working with Bernthal on Born Again. It’s honestly a little unclear if we’re even supposed to know about this yet or if the studio brought forward the announcement due to an interview hiccup. Winderbaum first dropped the bombshell that a Punisher spin-off was happening in a video interview this Monday, before it was swiftly taken down.
Either way, this announcement is a win-win. Bernthal’s portrayal of Castle is frankly one of the finest leading performances in the whole MCU, so more of him in the role can only be a good thing. What’s more, it’s a relief to know the innovative Special Presentation label hasn’t been dumped entirely — 2022’s Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special were warmly received by fans yet no more had followed since. But it was worth the wait if it means we’ll get an hour of the Punisher at his bullet-showering, neck-breaking best. Marvel’s Disney Plus content sure has come a long way since I Am Groot, huh?
The Punisher Special Presentation is due to shoot onto screens sometime in 2026, intended to release alongside Daredevil: Born Again season 2. With that season already shot and a third season all but greenlit, Defenders Saga fans are guaranteed to be eating well for the next few years. It’s like it’s 2015 all over again.
Published: Feb 25, 2025 12:59 pm