The Punisher Special Presentation is expected to premiere on Disney+ this summer, bridging the gap between Frank Castle's "official" MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and his starring role in this July's Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Production wrapped last year, and set photos have pointed to the vigilante butting heads with Ma Gnucci and her family. That harkens back to "Welcome Back, Frank," a 2000 comic book arc that remains one of the most beloved stories featuring The Punisher.
While much of the Special remains shrouded in secrecy, an official Writers Guild of America listing confirms that Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green are the only credited writers. The latter also directs, after he and Bernthal previously worked together on We Own This City and King Richard.
The listing also confirms that The Punisher Special Presentation is being released on Disney+ and that it will have a 60-minute runtime.
That makes it the longest of these Specials to date, topping Werewolf by Night (53 minutes) and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (42 minutes). With such a big gap between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, it's a little surprising that Marvel Studios didn't add 30 minutes and turn this into a theatrically released movie.
[SPOILER WARNING]
The Punisher is now confirmed not to appear in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, but he will be referenced. In the diner sequence in episode 4, there's a nod to some of the weirdest items Bullseye has ever used as a weapon. The idea to use a lobster, for example, wasn't in the comics but came about during a location scout at a real diner.
"We thought, 'How absurd is it that there’s a lobster tank in the middle of this diner?' It seemed to be a very New York thing, so we incorporated it," showrunner Dario Scardapane reveals in the press notes for the series.
In the same scene, Scardapane also made sure to include a reference to a showdown he’s been hankering for as a longtime fan of the comics. "As a fan of the Punisher Max books and the Ennis runs, I’ve always wanted to see Bullseye vs. Punisher. I need to see that fight someday. We
didn’t get a chance to do that this season, so instead we included a little callout," he teased.
"I think [it] will be as high-octane Punisher as you've ever seen," Bernthal previously said. "I think what was really important to me and to Destin and to Tom is that we believed that The Punisher could walk off of the Spider-Man set and could walk onto the special set, and I do believe that we achieved that."
The Punisher Special Presentation is eyeing a Summer 2026 premiere on Disney+.