First Look: Jon Bernthal Debuts New Punisher Suit in ‘Punisher’ Special Set Leaks
Jon Bernthal is back as the Punisher, and fans are finally getting their first look at his brand-new suit for the upcoming Marvel Studios special. The image comes from Instagram user stevesandsnyc, who posted a behind-the-scenes shot straight from the streets of New York City where filming is happening right now.
First look at Jon Bernthal in the new Punisher suit ☠️
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 5, 2025
📷 stevesandsnyc | IG pic.twitter.com/TRHUlK0nQ4
The untitled Punisher special is being made for Disney+ and is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s the third project under Marvel’s “Special Presentation” banner and will be the second time the Punisher gets his own spotlight in the MCU. This time, it’s not just Bernthal starring, he’s also helping write it along with director Reinaldo Marcus Green.
Bernthal has played Frank Castle before in Netflix’s The Punisher from 2017 to 2019 and will also appear in Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again, which comes out before this special. Marvel brought him back in 2023 for Born Again, and while filming that series, Bernthal came up with the idea for this Punisher special. Marvel liked what they saw and asked him to pitch it formally.
Bernthal explained that he didn’t want Marvel to just hand him the project without making him work for it. “I really want to earn this and I really want this to be good,” he said. Marvel Studios’ head of streaming, Brad Winderbaum, called the Punisher an “icon” and said the character means a lot to Bernthal. He also teased that the story would be a mix of raw action and emotional depth, calling it “a shotgun blast of a story, but [it] also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story.”
Bernthal promised fans that this won’t be a watered-down version of the Punisher. “This is the version that this character deserves… the visceral, psychologically complex, unforgiving, no-holds-barred version of Frank where he’s going to turn his back to the audience. And nothing is easy and all violence has a cost, and we’re going to see that cost.”
Filming started in mid-July under the working title Jolly Roger. Crews have been spotted shooting on Jamaica Avenue in Queens and near Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. One location even had a sign for “Gnucci’s Family Restaurant,” which might be a nod to Ma Gnucci and the Gnucci crime family from the comics. That could mean they’re involved in the special’s storyline.
So far, set leaks have already hinted at who the main villain might be, but Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything yet. What’s clear is that this version of the Punisher will be intense, dark, and sticking close to the core of the character. Bernthal even brought in his real-life friend and former Marine Raider Nick Koumalatsos to help make the action and tactics feel authentic.
The special will be rated TV-MA and is set for release sometime in 2026 as part of Phase Six of the MCU. Until then, fans can enjoy this first look at the new suit and get ready for what sounds like the most brutal and personal take on Frank Castle yet.
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